Searching for Hope
by moonservant
Summary: Thjion's on a mission to find is brother, Thrawn, and heads to Coruscant to look for him, where he ends up tangled in the New Republic's battle against an Imperial Mastermind. AU
1. Chapter 1

Mitth'jio'nuruodo sat on the edge of his bunk, staring fondly, though sadly, at the image of his family. First, he lingered his scarlet gaze upon his parents, who always supported him and made sure he achieved his full potential. His mother was smiling bright and his father's eyes sparked with pride he had always imagined was for him. What once inspired him and lifted him up, pulled him like a weight into the dark sea of guilt and anxiety. A lone tear fell down his blue cheek with the thought of how much pain he would end up causing them.

Next, he shifted to his eldest brother, Mitth'ras'safis. He was one of his heroes, a person to whom he looked to for guidance. No, he had never met him, having died ten years before he was born, but he knew what his brother stood for, and Thjion always asked himself what his brother would do before acting. Thrass was known as a kind-hearted soul who gave his life to save strangers from an unjust imprisonment that would arise from a provoked attack. He followed the laws and code to a T. Thjion tried to follow his brother's example, but now he realized, sometimes things had to be broken.

Finally, he gazed at his other brother and hero, Mitth'raw'nuruodo. No, he was not crazy or ignorant; he truly respected and admired his older brother. When he heard his parents talk about how disgraceful he was and a disappointment, he found everything he could on Thrawn, not wanting to believe that his brother was homicidal. He found holos on the trial and documentation on the attack and finally concluded that his brother truly believed he was saving the planet from an attack and that he had no other option if he wanted to preserve their way of life. He knew the consequences of his action and still went through with it. He was, in his opinion, a true hero and deserved the galaxy's respect. Thjion always listened silently to the brutal criticism his brother received and made to ignore it. In his opinion, there was no one who could compare to Thrawn. Now, Thjion was going to do something his parents had dreaded, follow Thrawn's example. He was going to abandon everything for his people. This time tomorrow, everyone would know he had deserted the army to find an exiled person, breaking a court order. They would know he was doing it for the Chiss, but he also knew they would not understand. In trying to bring Thrawn back to save them, he was ultimately telling them that the leadership was weak, and the code was outdated. The Chiss were a proud people who did not take kindly to criticism.

For the last ten years, the attacks from the Vagaari had worsened steadily. At first, the Ascendancy was able to repel the attacks, but little damage was actually done to the enemy fleet. Most of the damage was done to the Chiss forces, and the system did not have the means to crank out new ships every month. Thjion knew that an offensive attack was needed, but would never happen, so a leader needed to be brought in that could out think them and destroy them with a shambled fleet. He had not the post or genius to lead this, but he knew someone who did. The problem was, no one knew where Mitth'raw'nuruodo was anymore. It was believed that he was dead, an exploration of the planet he had been exiled to showed no sign of him now, but Thjion did not believe that. He could not believe it. His main idea was to travel to the head of the New Republic, and try to search him out. Thrawn was not on the isolated rock, meaning he had gotten away, and it was simply logical that he had taken residence in one of the systems controlled by the Republic. They would have to have a record on him, and so Thjion would be able to find him and convince him to come back.

He took one final look at the picture and set it in his bag atop a spare uniform. He gently ran his fingertips over the red accents on the black jacket and wondered if he would ever be able to wear the uniform he took so much pride in. He closed the latch and locked it, knowing he would never regret his choice. A knock sounded on the door and he crossed the small distance to open it, finding his best friend and bunkmate, Ignoriten. The suppressed excitement his friend was radiating with brought a small smile to his face.

"Are you ready yet? The shuttle's going to leave without us," he rushed him.

"Yeah, I was just finishing up," Thjion answered, going back to get his bag. Ignoriten glanced around the cabin and whistled.

"My goodness man, you are a neat freak," he commented on the state of perfection of Thjion's side of the room.

"Excuse me for wanting to display a bit of civilized manner unlike you," Thjion bit back, glancing about the room one last time before departing forever.

"Hey, are you alright?" his friend asked with a frown. Thjion cursed himself for letting his emotions get the better of him. It would not do to blow the whole thing now.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just been a hard week. Glad they went retreated finally and we can get our leave," Thjion answered mostly truthfully.

"Yeah I know. I thought for sure the battle would run right into this, but we got lucky or something. An entire week off, nothing could possibly sound better right now!" Ignoriten gushed. "So what are your plans?" Thjion shrugged halfheartedly.

"I don't know. Sending tonight with my parents I know for sure. Rest of the week is up in the air," he answered. Thankfully his friend had no idea that he would literally be spending the rest of the week up in the air… or up in space really.

"Well, we should make plans. Too bad we didn't have time before now to really talk about this," he answered. Thjion nodded, not sure what to say. They made it to the shuttle and Thjion bit down the rush of emotions knowing he would probably never again come aboard this ship. For the next half hour, people all around him talked excitedly about their plans for their week off; unaware of the emotional and psychological turmoil he was suffering. In just a few hours, he would leave everything behind.

The ship touched down and the eager soldiers filed off to meet with their families and friends. Thjion sighed, rather reluctant to join them, but walked off, and onto the platform where his parents and orphaned cousin, Krealla, waited. The girl spotted him and ran forward, grabbing him in a tight hug. He could not help a smile from pulling at his lips at the sight of the excited young girl. He dropped the bag, and hugged her tightly. He picked her up and she squealed gleefully, earning a laugh from him.

"I missed you Thjion," she told him. "Why do you have to go away for so long?" she asked innocently.

"Because it is my job to keep the mean people from hurting you. Sadly, they are not as smart as you are and keep coming back, so I have to stay away to keep you safe," he answered and they made their way to where his parents stood. His mother stepped forward and embraced her youngest son, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Welcome home. I'm so glad you're safe!" she cried.

"I'm glad to be home too," he told her truthfully, pushing the guilt and angst that pulled at his heart. For just a moment, he wanted to forget what had to be done. He handed over his cousin and turned towards his father.

"Good Evening Father," he greeted him. His father was extremely formal.

"Good Evening Lieutenant. Been busy have you?" he questioned.

"Just a bit," Thjion joked, though war really was no laughing matter. His father extended a hand, which Thjion eagerly shook.

"It's good to have you home Son," he finally said. Thjion nodded in return.

"Now come on, let's get you home. We have so much to catch up on," his mother encouraged them, breaking the formal atmosphere.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thjion sat in his old room, listening intently for any sounds of movement. It had been two hours now since the family retired, and he planned to now make his escape, but he had to be sure that no one would catch him. He waited another twenty minutes, and then he was satisfied. He moved silently as he changed into his uniform, and gently folded his civilian clothes. Next, he crawled under the bed, pulled up a loose floorboard, and reached inside for the sack hidden there. He smiled as he pulled out the three articles his brothers had left there long ago. The first and oldest was from Thrass. It was a Smash Ball that had yellowed with age, giving it a distinctive look. His signature, crudely written as if by a child, adorned one side along with a date Thjion had never asked his parents about. The next was a sketchbook from Thrawn, containing pictures of everyday life, fantastic lands, notes of observations, and various blueprints. Finally, an old datacard was left. Thjion placed the card into his datapad and read the message for the millionth time.

"If you are reading this, then that means you have found the hidden artifacts of Mitth'ras'safis and Mitth'raw'nuruodo. They have been placed here so that in the future, perhaps when we are long gone, people will know a bit about us and the way life was during our time. The two items hold a special value to us and we please urge you to take care of them. We wish you luck on your quest."

It was juvenile and did not properly portray the shear intelligence of his brothers, but it was another side of them he would never know.

"Thjion?" a small voice broke his thoughts. He looked up sharply to see the sleepy form of Krealla. She shut the door behind her and crossed the floor to come sit next to him on the bed. "Whatcha doin'?"

"What are you doing out of bed? It's late," he asked in return.

"I wanted to give this to you," she mumbled, holding out a drawing of his parents and her. "For when you go away, so you don't forget us," she added. He smiled, folded the picture up, and slipped it into his pocket.

"Thank you Krealla, but I could never forget you," he told her with a hug.

"Are you going away again?" she asked. Thjion did not answer right away, but weighed the consequences of telling her the truth.

"Yeah I am," he said finally. "But not back to the ship."

"Then where are you going? Can I go with you?" she asked eagerly. He shook his head gently.

"No, because I'm going to get in big trouble for this and I might not come back. You need to stay here," he explained.

"If you're going to get in trouble then you shouldn't go. I don't like getting in trouble. Auntie makes me sit in the corner for five minutes. Are going to have to sit in the corner?" Thjion smiled slightly, amazed at the innocence of youth.

"Not quite, but I have to go. You see Krealla, sometimes a person breaks rules because by doing so, they are helping people. That's what I'm going to do. I'm breaking the rules so that maybe I can help people stay safe," he tried to explain, but the look of confusion told him she did not understand.

"But isn't that a good thing? Why are you going to get in trouble for this if you're helping people?" she pressed. Well, it looks like this was not going to be easy.

"Krealla, have you heard of my brother, Thrawn?" he asked. She shook her head no. "Well, he too was in the Defense Force, and commanded a ship. He was a genius and only wanted to protect his people. Well, he was told that there was a bunch of ships heading towards Csilla to harm us, and so he attacked them first before they got too close. However, this broke the code and he was kicked out of the DF and sent away. A lot of people were mad at him, but he just wanted to help," he explained.

"That's not fair!" Krealla protested.

"No it's not, and it was a big mistake. Thrawn was the most brilliant leader we ever had and now we need him. So, I'm leaving to find the New Republic and see if I can search him out. We need him now. Of course, this is breaking many rules. So I have a job for you," he told her. Her red eyes sparkled with eagerness and she straightened up as if to improve her worthiness.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked. He pulled a datacard out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"I need you to give this to Mom and Dad. It explains everything I just told you. Also, someday, when you're bigger and have a job, if I don't come back, please tell the world my story. I don't want them to think I'm a coward or a traitor," he instructed grimly.

"But you're the bravest person I know. They couldn't think you're a coward," she protested.

"Yeah, but not everyone thinks like you do. Can I count on you to do that?" he asked seriously. She did her best imitation of a salute.

"You can count on me Thjion!" she promised. He pulled her into a tight one-armed hug, and then went to slip the "treasure" back into its bag.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Thrass and Thrawn left a few things under my bed for someone to find years later and they would know about how life is now. I found it when I was about your age while hiding under the bed. It in no way tells everything about the Chiss, but it is my connection to my brothers. Thrass left his old Smash ball because he was quite a fan of the sport. Thrawn left a sketch book with a bunch of stuff in it," he told her, showing her the items. She handled the ball carefully, then set it aside and flipped through the worn pages of the book.

"Why don't Auntie and Uncle talk about Thrawn? They've told me about Thrass, but not him. Is it because of the thing?" she asked.

"Yeah. It was a big deal and the family was hurt for a while. I'm afraid I'll do the same thing to them," he mumbled.

"Thjion, are you scared?" she asked.

"More than any other time in my life, but I have to do this," he told her, trying to convince himself. He glanced over at the chrono on the table and jumped up suddenly. "I have to go!" He tossed the "treasure" into his bag and locked it up. He then turned towards Krealla. "You have the card?" he checked. She held it up sadly.

"I'm going to miss you, Thjion," she said, tears starting to run down her cheeks. He stooped down and hugged her tightly.

"I'm going to miss you too. I promise, I'll do whatever I can to get back. I love you," he told her, tears of his own starting to run.

"I love you too. Good luck Thjion," she cried. Thjion gently pulled himself out of her grip and stood up. He grabbed his bag and wiped salty tears from his face. It would not do for someone to see an officer crying.

"Can you do one last thing for me?" he asked before he left. She nodded sadly.

"Tell Mom and Dad I love them," and with that he left.

XXXXXXXX

Thjion watched as Csilla shrunk away from him, grief spilling over him. He forced himself to look away and concentrate on the readouts in front of him. He was clear for hyperspace. He punched in the coordinates of Coruscant and waited just a second. He received the go ahead from the computer and, knowing there was no turning back, jumped to hyperspace.

**A/N- So, this is my first Star Wars stories, and therefore, my first attempt at writing the Chiss. I know that Thjion was probably too emotional, but I'm thinking that the whole serious, cold attitude is probably a generalization and a show for outsiders and to be professional. I imagine in front of family they are fairly normal. In addition, if you notice some blaring errors, someone gets ooc, or something of similar nature, please point it out in a kind manner. I really hate flames. I can handle constructive criticism, but just telling me this sucks does not help manners. If that's all you're going to say, don't review. Thanks for taking time to read this. I cannot promise the next time I'll update, I have a very busy schedule, but probably next weekend. If it becomes a crazy amount of time, feel free to yell at me to update. **


	2. Chapter 2

Leia Organa Solo sat in her office rubbing her temples in a futile attempt to relax. But with everything going on, that just was not going to happen. Between her pregnancy, Thrawn's attacks, and Luke and Han off running about the galaxy, the force was just conspiring against her. She felt as if a shrill alarm was going off! Actually, as the red light was indicating, a shrill alarm was going off. She punched the button to the intercom.

"Chancellor Organa Solo," she announced as pleasingly as possible.

"Chancellor, this is Air Traffic Control, we have an unidentified freighter of some sort. The captain claims diplomatic intentions. Should we allow them to land?" the officer asked. She sighed. She really was not in the mood to meet anyone, but if this person was looking to aid the New Republic, she could not say no. It was desperate times; she did not have the luxury of hormones.

"Link me to the ship, I'll speak with them," she told the officer.

"Very well Chancellor," he said, and static momentarily took over the line. The harrassing noise stopped and Leia spoke clearly.

"Unidentified Freighter, this is Chancellor Leia Organa Solo, Diplomat of the New Republic. State you identity," she commanded gently.

"Chancellor Organa Solo, my name is Mitth'jio'nuruodo of the Outer Rim planet Csilla. I come on a peaceful mission to recover a relative of mine," an accented male voice rang through.

"Of course, Mit... uh..." she trailed off, finding it too difficult to pronouce the foreign name.

"Forgive me Chancellor, our language can be difficult at first. You may call me Thjion," he apologized politly.

"Thjion then, I need to know that you mean us no harm. It is a dangerous time after all," she told him.

"I swear to you Chancellor, I mean you no harm. I only want to find my brother and return to my people. It is dangerous times for us as well, and I fear being away too long from them. I swear upon my family names to not harm your people," he swore. Leia knew that most species had a strong family connection and a sense of honor. She only hoped he was part of one of those species.

"Very well Thjion, you have my permission to land. I will signal Air Traffic Control and proceed to meet you at the designated area," she instructed.

"Thank you Chancellor, you kindness is much appreciated," he responded.

* * *

Landing Pad 9 they had told her, and that is where she was now. Leia, along with a bodyguard, waited in a quiet greeting party, awaiting the landing of the alien speeder. Overhead, the gleam of the ship could be seen moving closer and closer to the surface. With each second, the anticipation grew stronger. She was curious about this stranger, and wanted to know more about him. The Force was clouded around him, uncertain of him. She was relieved though that her danger sense was not going off though. That put her nerves at ease momentarily.

* * *

Thjion felt the freighter gently hit the surface of the landing pad, and listened as the Repulsor Lifts died away musically. He stood up and made his way towards the ramp, breifly checking his appearance in the metal walls. He looked alright, he assumed, but he seriously hated this tunic. He had never been one to favor civilian clothing, and wished right now that he could be in his uniform. However, he did not want to give off the appearance of hostility and figured this would be a safer bet. Besides, white was suppose to be a symbol of peace, and he was covered in it, though he also hated the color. So overall, he was not too pleased with his outfit, but figured he looked presenatable. 

He keyed the ramp down and waited a moment for it to finish lowering before starting down. He only made it a foot or so outside before blaster fire started up. He jumped down, taking refuge behind the ramp, wishing he had had the sense to bring his charric pistol with him. However, the bombardment did not last long as a female voice ordered the gunsman to stop. He slowly, and cautiously, left his cover. A female, heavy with child, in elegant robes approached him. Admittedly he was hesitant to move forward, fearful of being shot at, but the woman had an aura of saftey about her.

"Thjion, I do apologize for that. It was simply a case of mistaken identity I assure you," she assured him. Ah, so this was Chancellor Organa Solo.

* * *

Mistaken identity, that was putting it lightly! In reality she would have said something along the lines of, "Sorry Thjion, but we just thought you were the Grand Admiral and simply took the chance to shoot him down. Hope you understand." The resemblance to the Grand Admiral was uncanny, and the clothing did not help. Thjion had the same blue skin, red eyes, and blue-black hair as the Grand Admiral, but once a person stopped for a moment, they would see that Thjion was quite a bit younger than Thrawn. He was also a tad shorter and had a thicker build. Also, under his left eye a faint scar was present that she did not recall seeing on any of the holos of the Grand Admiral. 

"Of course Chancellor, as you said, these are dangerous times. It is natural to react defensively in new situations," the cultured voice set her worry at bay.

"I am glad to hear this has not tarnished your opinion of the New Republic," she responded as they moved towards the awaiting speeder.

"Of course not, if my brother judged this place to be a decent replacement, then I shall keep an open mind," he responded cooly. His lack of emotion was unnerving. To Leia, he reminded her too much of the Grand Admiral, though she prayed this was simply a characteristic of all... of them. What were they called anyway?

"Yes, your brother, you said you were looking for him no?" she questioned.

"Yes I did," Thjion answered.

"Are you certain he is here? How long has he been missing?" she continued.

"For possibly up to ten years Chancellor, I do not have an exact time. As to his whereabouts, I cannot say for sure he is here. But it would be logical that he would reside somewhere in the New Republic. I wish to seek permission to search the census records," he informed her. Leia asked the driver to contact Mon Mothma about a meeting with the department heads. "Thank you," Thjion said simply when the message was sent.

"Of course, of course, I know what it is like to lose a family member. Your brother must have been terribly young when he left," she commented sadly. How devesated his parents must have been to lose their child. She could only imagine the pain they must have felt.

* * *

Thjion eyed the diplomat, wondering how much he could tell her. She seemed trust-worthy, and there was the chance that she might even know Thrawn. Perhaps a bit of infomation would aid his search. 

"He was young yes, but he was not a child as you might assume. He is much older than me," he corrected her.

"Oh, still how terrible that must have been on your family. I am sorry for your lose. I hope you can find him and return him to his home," she mourned. Thjion almost laughed at the woman, not because what she said was terribly amusing, but because she was so ignorant of the situation.

"Well, yes, my parents were... quite distraught for awhile, but not for the reasons you might be imagining. My brother was exiled Chancellor, for a preemptive strike that saved our people, but also resulted in the death of our eldest brother. They were more angered by the exile than anything else," he explained.

"Oh, then why are you looking for him if he is exiled. Are there not laws about him returning, or was the sentence overturned?" Leia asked in confusion.

"My brother is the most brilliant leader our people have ever known and we need him now. I left to bring him back to defend our planet once more," Thjion explained seriously.

* * *

Leia paled at this comment. 'The most brilliant leader...' It was too odd; she could not stand it. She had to know. 

"Might I ask what your brother's name is?" she chocked out smoothly.

"Mitth'raw'nurodo, though you might know him by the core name of Thrawn," Thjion answered. Leia froze; this certainly complicated matters.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this took so long and is probably really short. I just got caught up in something else and just could not figure out how to write this chapter and really was impatient to write another scene that is several, or a lot, or chapters down the line. I apologize for any errors in this, especially spelling errors. The spell check just is not working today. So, review please! Also, I am getting into more technical bits of info as you may have noticed. Again, if you see an errors, just let me know and I will do my best to correct them! 


	3. Chapter 3

Thjion scrolled through the names that came up, but none of them fit. He morbidly wondered how the computer managed to get Jyyollnia out of Thrawn. They were no where near close. He went back up to the main search bar and typed in CHISS, hoping that perhaps he had just been overlooked in the last million searches. However the search came up negative once again. Thjion sign hopelessly, wiped his tired eyes, and typed in a description and waited. A few abstract species with similar, according to the computer, traits. However nothing was close. There was no one anyone could hide their identity to the extent that a Chiss became a Bothan or Glymphid. He buried his face in his folded arms, feeling a wave of hopelessness. Another thought, though much more terrible, came over him and he quickly searched the death records. To his relief, nothing came up.

He was confused as to what to do next. From what he had gathered, the only government nearly as large as the New Republic was the Galactic Empire, and they were solely pro-human. There was no way Thrawn would align himself with that government. Of course they controlled alien plants, and there was the possibility he was on one of those, but there was no way that in a time of war, the Empire would let Thjion check their records with his supposed alliance with the New Republic. So basically he had two choices. He could try and go back to Csilla and hope he didn't end up on an obscure rock in the middle of nowhere for abandoning his post and trying to aid an exiled person. Or he could go check out the Outer Rim systems, though that would be mind-boggling difficult as most of them were not technologically advanced. Either option was not terribly pleasant.

"How is the search going?" Mon Mothma interrupted his musings. He spun in the chair to face the human, quickly replacing the proud mask despite the fact that she had clearly seen him just now.

"It is unsuccessful, though it has ruled out many worlds. I imagine it is time I move on to another place and hope for more luck," he responded evenly.

"Perhaps, however there is another option," she carefully mentioned. The great thing about living with emotionless people, i.e. his father, is that you learned to read people very well, and this woman was an open book to him. He could sense that she was nervous and hopeful about this, which peaked his curiosity. What could possibly be another option? "As you know, we are under great threat from the Empire, and their current leader, the Grand Admiral, is using many tactics that we just are not wholly familiar with. We think that perhaps you might be familiar with some of the tactics used. Or perhaps you could offer us a few suggestions..." she trailed off. Thjion inwardly smiled. So they were desperate enough to hire deserters now. He had told them about his former post and their reaction had not been pleasant. But now something terrible had happened, something that would make them willing to take a risk with him.

"Might I ask what has happened?" he asked indifferently. Although things had been had bad, the woman had never been this scared before. He saw the fear in her eyes. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but quickly shut it before entering farther into the records room and pulling up a chair in front of him.

"Tell me Thjion, have you ever heard of the Katana Flight?" she asked hesitantly. He searched his memory but could find nothing of the sort. Of course, if this was a Republic thing, he probably would not of being from the Outer Rim and such. "Well, back before the Clone Wars broke out, I don't know if you've heard of that either, the Old Republic launched a project of slave circuit ships know as the Katana Flight, or the Dark Force. It was a massive fleet of Dreadnaughts that was going to change history. Well, supposedly the crew came down with some sort of illness and died, losing the ships in dead space. However, we have finally found the Dark Force, and were hoping to secure them in our fight against the Empire, but it did not work out," she explained.

"Let me guess, the Empire showed up and wiped everything out," he gandered. Mon Mothma simply shook her head.

"That might have been better than what has happened. The Empire has taken all but twenty ships out of two hundred. Although it will take them a while to find a crew for all of them, you just never know with the Admiral. He will find a way. We need all the help we can get," she explained.

"I..." he trailed off. He was unsure what to do. He knew that every day he spent here was another day Csilla went unhelped, but if he could help the Republic stop the Empire, then he could gain access to their records and perhaps find Thrawn. Of course, there was the chance that he was not on any Imperial worlds and this would just be a waste. Still there was a better chance he was there. "I'll see what I can do. Would you happen to have any records of the battles with this Grand Admiral?" he consented.

"Just a few," Mon Mothma admitted, sweeping past and pulling up the clips. Thjion watched as the Republic ships fell into the Admiral's traps. His strategy was brilliant and perfect, as if he knew exactly what the Republic Officers were thinking. Each clip was the same, the Imperials were always one step ahead.

"Wow, no wonder you all are worried. He's amazing. Unfortunatly, I was unable to detect any patterns in his work, anything that could be used against him. Maybe with more information we could find a pattern or something to exploit, but from this, I just do not know. I fear I won't be of much use to you," he told her cooly.

"No, no one is ever not useful. If anything, you are a new mind with new ideas. Perhaps you could prove a challenge for him," she responded. "In the mean time, I will see what I can do about more recordings and reports." With that she left the room.

Outside, a irate Leia stood. She fixed Mon Mothma with a strong glare. The older woman sighed and took Leia by the arm, guiding her down the hall gently. "I know what you think of this Leia, but we have no choice."

"We always have a choice Mon," Leia bit back. "I allowed you to block the Emperial Records from him, I did not agree, but I allowed it. But now, to square him against his brother, using him as a tool for the Republic, it's not right. The longer he stays here, the greater the chance he'll find out we've been lying to him which will be just as bad if we handed him over to the Empire and gave the Grand Admiral a new ally." Mon Mothma sighed, the years suddenly written across her face. Leia was slightly taken aback at the sudden aging. She sometimes forgot how long Mon Mothma had fought against the Empire, all the difficulties she had faced.

"What would you have me do? If the Force is telling you this a bad idea, then I will go back in there and confess all, but if not, please. He may be our only hope," Mon told her. Leia searched the Force, but could not find a warning bell or anything, just a slight breeze of hesitation.

"Nothing so far, but I fear that when the warning goes off, it will be too late," Leia tried to persuade her.

"If we can gain anything with him, I will risk it," the Republic Leader said finally. Leia nodded, and pulled her arm away to allow herself to be back down the hall towards the record room. "What are you doing?"

"I have some research I would like to do," Leia called back. "I swear to protect our secret." _Although I do not agree_ she wanted to add.

A/N- Well, the plot has progressed some. Just a few more chapters and you, Daughter of the Empire (Hope I got your name right) will have your answers. Please R&R!!


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Believe me people, I have not abandoned this! I just happen to have four huge projects due in a week, but I'll update this. If it sucks, I apologize. But really, once summer starts, I'll be able to update more! Daughter of the Empire, thanks for messaging me, I had forgotten, sort of, that this existed... Soo, on to the next chapter!_

Thjion stood in front of the viewing window on the bridge staring at the Imperial Fleet. It was a fair sight, but not nearly as terrifying as the Vagaari Fleet. Then again, he had no real emotional attachments to the planet they were defending so that could have an impact on his feelings here. Admiral Ackbar barked out commands to the various other officers and everyone was in a flurry of activity, except for him. His main job was to watch, and offer any advice he might have. This was still Ackbar's ship though and he had the ultimate say.

The Gold Squadron flew out to meet the on-coming Imperial Force. As they approached, the squadron split into two groups and began firing, futiley, at the Star Destroyers until they were distracted by TIE fighters. Thjion's brow knitted together as he wondered why the Grand Admiral would let the X-wings get the first shot, until he moved over to a radar and saw that the TIE fighters hidden behind the Star Destroyers out numbered the X-wings 10:1 and they were quickly destroyed. The Star Destroyers began cruising toward the Republic Fleet. Ackbar ordered more fighters to launch and for the cannons to be prepared to fire. Thjion thought about the situation and how forward it all seemed.

"Can this be expanded?" he asked the radar officer.

"I...uh, yes I can be, but we're in the middle of a battle. The fight's covered," he argued. The officer was young and looked quite inexperienced in Thjion's opinion. This talking back nonsense would never have been tolerated in the DF.

"Expand the area by half a kilometer," he ordered, not commenting on the verbal offense. The young officer shrugged, but followed the order. Immediately two red triangles came into view. Just as he thought. "Admiral," Thjion addressed the amphibious officer, "it appears that two Star Destroyers are approaching us from behind. I recommend that we split the fleet to keep an ambush at bay." Admiral Ackbar shook his head.

"No, we have a battle in front of us, and we need to focus on this first," he declined. Thjion stared at him in minor disbelieve that he would avoid a threat like this.

"Sir, we need to consider every threat. Split the fleet. It's two Star Destroyers we can take out quickly and avoid serious damage," Thjion argued. Nevertheless, the Admiral refused. Thjion glared at him, becoming increasingly irritated. Did he have a mental block to see an obvious target and threat? He had to do something. He glanced back at the radar to see the two star destroyers practically on top of them.

"Red and Blue Carrier, this is Gold Carrier," Thjion broadcasted to the two most rear ships. It had been decided to use code name so that the Grand Admiral could not tap their frequency and figure out names. "Direct your attention on the two Star Destroyers coming up on your tail. Rejoin when that's taken care of." Thjion cut the signal and looked ahead. He did not need to look over to see the utter shock and disgust being shot at him by Admiral Ackbar.

"I hope you know that you've just doomed us all," Ackbar told him in a barely civil manner. "I hold you responsible for the outcome of this." Thjion nodded solemnly and watched the progression of the two battle fronts.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well Captain Pallaeon, it looks like I have mistaken the identitity of the commanding officer," Grand Admiral Thrawn remarked cooly and with almost mild humor. Pallaeon nodded in response wondering how Thrawn had come to that conclusion. It looked to him that Ackbad had just made a normal, if not delayed, counter attack against them.

"Might I ask why you think that Sir?" he asked, always eager to learn. It was something he did not normally admit, but he had learned more in his few years of service under Grand Admiral Thrawn than he had in his entire military career.

"Have you ever played with fish Captain?" Thrawn asked. Pallaeon answered no, suprised this was not an art-based question.

"Really, what a dull childhood you must of had. I owned a few fish as a child, and I found it so amusing to distract them with bits of bait then scare them with a well placed stick to the tail. They never knew the stick was there until it was too late," he reminised. Pallaeon thought he could see where this was heading. "This is the same for our Admiral and his species. They focus more on the obvious and what is in front of them. Remind me to show you their art work later. The focus is so detailed and beautiful, but the scenery and anything in the distance is underdeveloped and rather dull."

"So because this person attacked the two ships behind them it cannot be Ackbar because they were focusing on something other than the obvious?" the Captain questioned.

"Exactly. You are learning well Captain," Thrawn praised him. Pallaeon internally smiled, glad to please his superior officer and mentor. However, the feeling was short lived as two ships were destroyed. "Sound the retreat Captain. This battle was planned for the Admiral, and will be lost now," Thrawn commented evenly. That was one of the things Palleaon liked about the Grand Admiral. While he did not like to lose, he did not become angry and take it out on the crew like other people (Lord Vader) did, unless, of course, they deserved it.

"Of course Sir," he replied curtly. He sent the order to the Bridge and dismissed himself to debrief the crew.

"Well, well, well," Thrawn mumbled to himself as he stared at the red triangle that was the flag ship of the New Republic. "Who are you, and what is your weakness?"


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: GAH! I had this partially typed out and then my CHARMING brother felt the need to turn of my computer before I saved this. But you know what, it was clearly my fault for going and trying to make the house suitable for human habitation. Silly me! fumes Anyway, so next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for, or maybe the one after that depending on what you are waiting for. I'll try and get the typed up tomorrow. _

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or Thrawn and the Chiss. They are the genius of George Lucas and Timothy Zahn. I just borrowed them to practice my own story development and to throw-out a "what if" scenerio that was plaguing me... Thjion is mine though so please NO TOUCHY!! unless I givith you permission. **

_**On the matter of pronunciation**_: it was asked how you pronounce Thjion's name: the J has no relevance (it just looks cool) so it's pronounced Thee-on.

Thrawn darkly sat in his mediation room glaring at various bits of art work. For the last FOUR MONTHS he had not been able to figure out who this mysterious leader was. He did not even need a name, just a species. He studied the culture of every species involved in the New Republic, but he could not figure it out. Every battle started off with a Mon Calamari in charge, as he expected, then someone stepped in just as Thrawn was about to bait them. With is entire strategy based on his knowledge of the mental limitations of his opponent, he was practically useless. In the last four month, they'd won at total of three battles. While he did appreciate challenges, the middle of a crucial part of a war was not a good time. Sure he had the entire Katana Fleet at his disposal and could take the Republic by force, he knew that that would not win the respect and fear needed to rule the universe... and it was not his style. He sighed and drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. It was so much easier when he was a DF commander combating a single-species enemy. There were no tricks, no surprises.

That was it. Thrawn straightened up more as the idea formed. The New Republic consisted of isolated individuals who had probably never been near the Unknown Regions much less near Chiss Ascendancy. If he were to pull some distinctly Chiss strategy on this person, they would be at a loss as to what to do. It played on their mental block and guaranteed success! Then again, if they did find a loop-hole that the Chiss were not able to comprehend, then he would lose, but as always the Chiss were superior, so there was no chance of that happening! That is what he would do. Oh this would be fun!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Force was calm and still, if not pleasantly optimistic in nature, and Leia smiled as she stared down at her two sleeping infants who might just be allowed a peaceful childhood after all. It had been four easier months. Sure there were battles still happening, Thjion was still at risk for meeting his brother, Mara Jade was far too mysterious for her liking, and other trivial matters like that, but overall, things were better. The New Republic had been on a huge winning streak and her family was finally together for once! Despite all the negative, everything was going to be alright. The door slipped open and Leia turned to see Mon Mothma enter, looking quite pleased with something. The Republic President sat next to the new mother and watched the young Jedi twins sleep for a moment.

"The Empire is retreating once again and four more systems are petitioning to rejoin the New Republic. Leia, I think this could be over within a year at the rate we're going," Mon Mothma told her excitedly. Leia closed her eyes and let the welcomed warmth fall over her with those words. After so long, this was finally coming to an end.

"Thank the Force for that. I guess it was a good thing letting Thjion help out," she admitted. She still was nervous at times, but after this long, it seemed that their policy of no holoimage negotiations was going to prevent any nasty revelations.

"I take it there have been no changes in the Force then?" Mon Mothma verified. Leia shook her head no.

"Luke is monitoring it as well in case I miss something. He and Han don't know though. I just told them we that Ackbar had a new assistant who was to remain anonymous and they were not to be told as the Empire would suspect them," Leia explained.

"You could have told them. I know we can trust Han and Luke with anything. However, I take it you were thinking of Han's reaction to this gamble?" she guessed. Leia laughed silently.

"He would have flipped out, and I just don't think I can tell Luke and not Han," Leia told her. The older woman nodded and they sat in silence for a few moments before Mon suddenly stood.

"Well, I should probably go and make sure everything is running smoothly. Han and Borsk were about to start another debate when I left and you know how they can get." Leia rolled her eyes.

"What are they going on about now?" she asked in a most exasperated tone. Mon Mothma laughed at Leia's tone and worry.

"I believe it was about the best speeder design," she said and Leia released her breath. It was amazing that the two rivals now had to find petty things to argue about nowadays. The two women said their partings and Leia was once left alone with the children. Yes, things were definitely looking up.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Admiral, we have them spotted. Do you wish to engage?" the radar officer, Lt. Zimmer, called out.

"Of course! We need to keep them on the run," Admiral Ackbar growled back in a pleasant manner. "Ready to go Admiral?" Thjion smiled against his will at the joke. Ackbar had taken a great liking to him since that initial battle and joked about how Thjion was the Unofficial Admiral. It was now is duty to monitor every battle that took place with the Grand Admiral, and he had a pretty good record going. Although it still pained him to be away from his people and know that he was leaving them unprotected, he was enjoying himself here.

"Of course Admiral," he responded evenly. Ackbar sent out a few squadrons of X-wings and the battle began. It was straightforward and it seemed as if the Grand Admiral had given up almost.

"You know Thjion, once this mess is over, I think I'm going to retire," Ackbar said off hand.

"I'm sorry to hear that sir. The Republic will be losing a great leader," Thjion told him, and he meant it. If it were not for the pride of the Chiss (and they were proud!) he would have asked Ackbar to come back to Csilla and help the cause.

"Well, perhaps, but I would be leaving it in good hands with you at the helm," Ackbar told him. Thjion smiled sadly though appreciatively.

"Thank you Sir, however it would probably be best to give the Fleet over to someone who is actually part of the New Republic. Do not forget, I am only here until I can gain access to the Empire's territory," Thjion reminded him. The Mon Calamari's face fell a bit and darkened noticeably, but Thjion paid it no heed. And there was no time to think on it as the Empire suddenly did something totally unexpected.

"What in the world are they doing?" Ackbar mumbled to himself. Thjion simply stared in disbelief at the arrangement he was all too familiar with. It was Chiss formation used to abolish one's enemy. It was almost fool proof, unless used against another Chiss. However, the counter was too difficult to explain. He needed to be out there. Only he could pull this off. He called down to the main hanger to get a fighter ready for him asap and ran down there without an explanation. Ten minutes later he was out there barking order to the confused pilots.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Thrawn's lips were twisted in a crooked smile of satisfaction. First, he was fulfilling a long forgotten part of himself, and two, it seemed that someone in the Republic had finally taken the time to do a bit of research about him. They now thought they might actually be able to pull this off. He would enjoy watching them fail.

"Captain Pallaeon," he said into the comlink to the Bridge, "in about five minutes, capture those X-wings. I want those pilots interrogated." Pallaeon acknowledged this and went back to work. Yes, he was in a good mood.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The X-wings were arranged properly and Thjion led the way toward the awaiting TIE fighters. His breathing was rigid and adrenaline coursed through his veins. This was hard to pull off with properly trained pilots; this was going to be near impossible now. The two groups met and the X-wings broke off into four groups in four directs. Thjion led two other fighters through the chaos shooting and bombing away. He allowed a smile to grace his tense features. Clearly, the TIE Pilots were new at this so it was fairly evenly matched. It was not as good as he had hoped for, but it was better than expected. They might just be able to pull this off. He had spoken too soon for as soon as he thought that, his ship came to a halt as a tractor beam hooked on to him. He let go of the wheel and figured the edges of his brothers' treasures through his flight suit as a sort of apology to his people for failing them.

XXXXXXXXX

That was close, too close for his liking. They were not supposed to know how to do that! Thrawn's good mood was officially dead, and the rebel scum would pay for it. He would get answers now as to who was leading them and how in the Empire they knew how to do that! He most definatly did not approve of this.

XXXXXXXXX

Leia pailed as the reports came in of Ackbar's most recent battle. At least fifteen men were dead, several more injured, one Star Cruiser severly handicapped, and 19 pilots taken hostage at the hand of the Grand Admiral, and Thjion was one of them. Her breath became heavy and strangled at this news. She had known it was a bad idea to send him! They had tempted the fates one too many times and now they were all doomed. Tears streamed down her face. There was no hope now. Oddly enough, the Force was almost rejoicing.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: FINALLY!! THE MOMENT WE HAVE ALL BE WAITING FOR!! MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I shall ignore that it is 12:13 in the morning and will update anyways. Yay! Even I'm excited to write this. This has actually been written for months as it was the only thing suitable to do in Physics. So enjoy!_

_To stargazer: thanks for telling me about Leia's incorrect title. I honestly had no idea what to call her and Wikipedia called her that (no wonder my teachers don't let us use that for sources) so uif you or anyone could give me the correct title, that would be amazing! And to the other stuff... you'll have to find out. I'd love to spill everything right now, but can't! _

_NOTE: Later in this chapter, I will be switching POV's in the same scene. When the type changes from regular to italics, it is a change in POV. _

**Disclaimer: Don't own most of this and I'm not making money off of it so w/e!**

Captain Pallaeon listened as Commander Cortain debriefed him on the interrogation process. It was rather unhelpful. Just that no one was talking yet and they would be increasing the intensity over the next few days. Quite frankly, he was not looking forward to telling the Grand Admiral about this. He had been in a rather nasty mood for the last few hours after what had happened. They had won, but he did not like that his strategy had been challenged. The report ended and Pallaeon turned to leave, only to crash into a nervous young man he did not recognize.

"Do watch were you are going," he gently scolded the man.

"M-my apologizes sir. I will be more careful in the future," he stuttered.

"Are you alright Lt... uh, Peterson?" Pallaeon asked him suspiciously.

"Uh, Sir, I think you need to take a look at Prisoner 437," he told him.

"And why is that? If he is injured, get a medic in there to make sure he's not about to die. If not, go back to there and finish the interrogation," Pallaeon ordered.

"I am finished. He would not give me anything related to what we wanted, but he did tell me something... something you and the Grand Admiral should really know about," Peterson argued. Pallaeon stared down at him curiously.

"And why might this be Lt.?" he questioned stiffly.

"With all due respect Sir, I think you need to hear this from him otherwise it will just sound crazy," he answered. Pallaeon was frustrated that he was not complying, but he seemed sincere and his interest was peaked now about what this prisoner might have said. He walked past the nervous Lieutenant and keyed open cell 12.

To say he was shocked was a gross understatement. Nothing could have prepared Pallaeon for what he say before him. On the bunk, lay a young man of about thirty. He had blue skin and red eyes that glowed with a sense of dignity and control, as if he was confused about who the prisoner was. The man was clearly tall, taller than he was at least, and quite narrow. He met Pellaeon with a cool, calculation stare that he was quite use to now, so Pellaeon was able to maintain his professional air. Still, the resemblance between this rebel and the Grand Admiral was frightening.

"Good evening," Pallaeon said as he came to stand beside the man. The prisoner stared at him for a second, sizing him up.

"Decided not to bother with the droid this time?" he responded with a cold, disinterest. He spoke good Basic, though it was heavily accented.

"No, I don't think that is necessary at the moment. You seem like a reasonable person who knows when to cooperate," Pallaeon told him. What he was not saying was that the interrogation droid was just outside, but he knew, like any good interrogator, that the best way to do this was to lure them into a false sense of security, squeeze what you can willing out of them, perhaps find a weakness, then exploit it with the droid. It was truely a nasty process.

"If you're going to ask me about the New Republic, don't bother. I'm not going to tell you anything worth knowing. They were too kind for me to just betray them to you monsters," the prisoner said. That may have seemed like simple rebellion to some, but that spoke volumes to the Captain.

"Tell me, what is your name?" he asked curiously.

"Mitth'jio'nuruodo," he said. For reasons unbeknownst to him, that sounded very familiar. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but there was no way he was going to be able to prounounce the prisoner's name. "You may call me Thjion if that's easier for you. Most humans sturggle with the language." Pallaeon nodded in gratitude.

"Thjion then, you are not native to the Core Worlds are you?" The alien shook his head no. "Then why join the New Republic? They were weak, hardly more than a rebellion. Why not join the Empire?" Pallaeon asked.

"First, I am not part of the New Republic. I was asisting them in hopes of helping my people. Second, you are murderous, prejudiced bits of Bantha scum, and I had no reason to believe my search would be aided here until it was too late!" Thjion told him murderously. Pallaeon ignored the rather justified insult. It was true, much of the Empire was pro-human, something he rather regretted. But, he was on a search, one that required access into the Empire it sounded like, and he was not part of the New Republic.

"What, for curiousity's sake, are you looking for?" Pallaeon asked casually as if they were old friends. Thjion stared at him, clearly weighing the consequences of telling him. 'It must be something important,' he concluded if it took that much security.

"Well, I don't see how it can hurt. I'm looking for my brother. He was exiled years ago because he broke the stupid code and now our people are dieing and we need him. He was a brilliant military mind and we need him," confessed Thjion. Okay, that was a tad spooky. Another blue alien shows up, bearing a bit of resemblence to the Grand Admiral, looking for a genius brother of his. Something was going on here! But, as he started jumping to wild conclusions, Pallaeon figured that as Thjion and Thrawn were both aliens, it was very likely he just assumed they looked a like, just as all wookies look a like, and that perhaps the entire species was grossly intelligent.

"Might I ask what your brother's name is?" Pallaeon asked. If he could find out what had happened to the mysterious brother, he could use that as leverage in the future.

"I don't see that it's important. I doubt you know him," Thjion said.

"Actually, I am familiar with a few people of your type. In fact, there is one aboard the ship right now!" Pallaeon informed him, looking to build that trust and confidence factor.

"As a prisoner no doubt."

"Actually, no. But, I can't tell you more. So tell me, what is you're brother's name? Who knows, perhaps I do know him."

"Thrawn," Thjion answered. Pallaeon felt the blood drain from his face. There was no possible way this could be happening. This rebel was claiming to be related to _the _Grand Admiral of the Galactic Empire. No! He would not accept this he... he had to tell Thrawn. "I take it you've heard that name before?" Thjion guessed at the Captain's strange reaction.

"Y-yes, I am familiar with this Thrawn person. If you'd like, I could contact him and tell him you're looking for him in exchange for the information we're looking for," Pallaeon told him, returning to the ultimate goal here.

"Oh no. Believe me, I know what you are doing. You want me to tell you everything then you'll probably kill me and everything will be lost. So, you bring my brother to me, and then I will cooperate," Thjion reasoned. Pallaeon laughed; this boy was no idiot.

"Alright, however, it might take sometime to get a hold of him. He, uh, is very busy and kind distantly located," Pallaeon told him. So, it was not a total lie. Thrawn was busy, and the other side of the ship was far away. Besides, he could not give the Admiral's name away if this guy did not already know. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to finish a few reports then I will get to work on contacting Thrawn. Good day," and with that Pallaeon nearly ran from the cell.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Captain Pallaeon, I am displeased! Nothing has come from the interrogation process! I have think I should let our Jedi Master go in and pick their minds apart," Thrawn said as the Captain answered. He really wanted to. Not only would he get that information, but it would hurt them. With the crazy clone, he would be unable to control himself and probably tear their minds apart. It did, however, cause a problem if he wanted to the prisoners alive. Still, it would get C'boath off his back for awhile.

"Yes sir, that is what Commander Cortain told me. Uh, sir, about Prisoner 437-"

"He particullarly irriated me. According to the report, all Peterson got was snide remarks and sarcasm. That is not supposed to happen. He will pay for his lack of cooperation," Thrawn vented. He glanced over at Pallaeon who appeared to be regretting approaching him. He also screamed nervous energy. Thrawn did feel a bit bad over causing his captain this discomfort, he was a good sport and never questioned him. "My apologizes Captain, you clearly had something important to say and I cut you off."

"No, that's alright sir. I understand you are under a great deal of stress lately. Uh, in Peterson's report, did he happen to mention the species of the prisoner?" Pallaeon asked.

"No, that usually is not of any importance and is not normally included in the report. Why do you ask?" Thrawn responded.

"Well, I just got done talking to Prisoner 437, and it was quite shocking to see him," the captain answered.

"Why?"

"Well sir, he is a... uh, well, I don't know what you are called, but he is one of you," Pallaeon said. Thrawn raised a blue-black eyebrow at the captain.

"He is a Chiss?" he asked in clarification.

"Uh, yes, I guess so," Pallaeon admitted.

"Ah."

"Who claims he's your brother." Thrawn stared at Pallaeon, absorbing this information. A cold laugh escaped him.

"What exactly did he say Captain?" he asked in a much better mood than before.

"He said that he is looking for his brother, Thrawn, who is a military genius," Pallaeon said, more nervous than before.

"Gilad," Thrawn sighed, addressing his captain as a friend, "this is no way that this prisoner could possibly be my brother. By brother died years ago, before I was exiled actually. If he was by some chance a family member, he would have given the correct title. So we are left to conclude that his is a conman sent by the Rebellion, or his is truely a Chiss who has something against me and is trying to assassinate me."

"I'm sorry sir, I should have known it was ridiculous. I'm sorry for bothering you," Pallaeon apologized.

"Don't be sorry Captain. This actually explains a lot, and if we can make him think that we are playing his game, we can get a lot out of him before we kill him. Captain, take charge. I am going to go talk to our friend," Thrawn decided.

The door slid shut and Pallaeon grabbed for the arm of the chair to steady himself. Dealing with normal Thrawn was intense, but dealing with angry Thrawn was just dangerous.

XXXXXXX

**Thjion lay on the hard, metal bunk staring at the polished, metal ceiling. He could vaguely make out his reflection and he was tempted to make faces at himself to pass the time away but he was being monitored and he would not be thought a fool. It was just so unbelievably dull in here! Then again, he might actually get to see him brother again, and maybe this supposed Chiss on board would stop by for a visit. He really hated Basic, it was such a choppy and ugly language, unlike Cheunh which just flowed off the tongue. So, maybe he was a bit homesick. The door to his cell slid open and Thjion looked up lazily expecting it to be another young officer with a droid or that old guy who was actually kind of interesting. Instead, there stood someone much more welcomed.**

**The man inhabiting the doorframe was actually a Chiss and he wore a polished, white uniform. He was probably about the same height as Thjion and was quite a bit older. He was cold and calculating, though Thjion really had no problem with this as Chiss were normally like this around strangers. He took a single step forward, allowing himself to be locked in with him. Thjion quickly dismissed the idea that this man could possibly be Thrawn as the old man had said it would be quite awhile before he got here and this guy was clearly and Imperial and the rebels would have known about him and told Thjion if this was Thrawn.**

**"Ah, a welcomed sight at last. Good evening," Thjion greeted him in Cheunh.**

**"And to you. As much as I would love to continue with this, I must ask that we revert back to Basic for Security's sake," the other told him.**

**"Of course," Thjion complied in the hidious language. "So who are you?"**

**"That is really not important right now. So Captain Pallaeon told me you were looking for Thrawn, correct?" the stranger verified. Pallaeon, that must have been the old guy.**

**"Yeah, do you know him?" Thjion asked.**

**"Better than probably anyone else. Might I ask what you need with him?" the stranger continued with the questioning. Thjion had the strange impression that he was being interrogated yet again. This, at least, was on a pleasent manner.**

**"The Vagaari are attacking continously. With the code, we cannot really fight them, so we need Thrawn to come back. No one else is brave enough to break it, and I have neither the rank nor the ability to lead the DF, so I came looking for him, to try and convince him to come back.**

Thrawn smiled inwardly. His story checked out. The archaic code was so controlling no one would dare try and break it after what happened to him. Plus, he never expected the Vagaari to actually leave them alone. He was battling them, and his father battled them before him. This did, however, rule out that he was a conman from the New Republic. They would not have known about any of that and there was no way a human could speak Cheunh so flawlessly. He was definatly an assassin from the Ascendancy.

"Well, I wish you luck with that. So, what is your name? Pallaeon failed to mention that," he told the rebel.

"Mitth'jio'nuruodo or just Thjion, which ever you prefer. I'm Thrawn's younger brother," he explained. Thrawn shook his head and pretended to look confused.

"Now, how can that be as Thrawn only had one, older brother who died shortly before he was exiled," Thrawn argued. Thjion shrugged it off.

"Yeah, I know about Thrass. My parents talked so much about him. They really hoped I would end up like him. But as to your information, Thrawn would have known nothing about me. I was born only a few years after he was exiled." Now Thrawn had him. His parents had vowed they would not have anymore children. He had asked for a younger sibling so he would no longer be that baby of the family, and he had been denied on every occasion. What then would have possessed his grieving parents to have another child? This was just a carefully spun story.

"I'm afraid, I don't believe you so you're going to tell me who you really are and why you are looking for Thrawn, or you can experience a world of pain. It's your choice."

**Thjion stared at this man with absolute disbelief etched into every inch of his being. Who was this guy to tell him who he was? No wonder the Republic hated the Empire if they full of ignorant fools like this!**

**"Listen, I don't know who you are, but I assure I am telling the truth," Thjion assured him forcefully. The man blinked once at him and sat down next to him, taking Thjion's hand in his own.**

**"I'm sure that's what you were told to say, but I'm telling you now to tell me who you really are!" the officer commanded, giving a sharp, warning twist to Thjion's wrist. Thjion inhaled sharply, but ignored the pain.**

**"I'm not lying!" he yelled.**

_"_I was hoping it would not come to this Thjion. However, if you insist," Thrawn conceeded. For the next ten minutes the two yelled back and forth, Thrawn insisting that Thjion was lying, and Thjion screaming that he was honest. With every denial, Thrawn twisted Thjion's wrist until finally it snapped unpleasently. Thjion screamed and clutched the broken joint. Thrawn simply watched unmovingly until he saw something of interest.

"Undo your flightsuit," Thrawn ordered.

"W-what?" Thjion murmured.

"You are hiding something," Thrawn answered indicating the hidden edges of something beneath the orange material. Thjion looked down, comprehending what Thrawn was talking about.

"Please, no, don't make me. It's none of your concern; I swear, it's harmless," he pleaded. Thrawn just stared at him.

"If you value your other wrist, you will give me what ever you are hiding right now," he mandated. Thjion gave him a look of pure hatred before unzipping the top of the suit and pulling out two items: a notebook and a small ball. "Now what are these?" Thrawn asked really to himself as he stood and walked to the other side of the cell. He paid no attention to the ball, no doubt the rebel was a fan of the sport, but the notebook must of held valuable information. He flipped the cover open and froze. The sketches were crude and childish, but so familiar and comforting. He flipped through the book, not believing what he saw. He snapped the book shut, and inspected the old Smash ball. He glanced up at the man before him, Thjion. An anger and wonder filled up inside him. He drew a concealed dagger from his sleeve and slashed the skin just under Thjion's left cheekbone, making sure that the blade collected several drops of blood before turning to leave. Thjion swore at him in their native language, but Thrawn paid him no heed, and left.

He left and returned to his meditation room to find it, thankfully, empty meaning Pallaeon had returned to the Bridge. Approaching a computer console, he tapped the blood drops into a vile, wiped it clean, and then pricked his own finger, squeezing a few drops into a different vile. He tapped in a code into the keyboard.

"Med Bay," a bored voice answered.

"This is Grand Admiral Thrawn. I am sending you two blood samples. Do a genetic profiling; I want to know if these two subjects are by any means related," Thrawn told the medic.

"Right away Sir. Anything else?" the medic asked dutifully.

"That'll be all," and with that he signed off. Thrawn returned to his command chair and flipped more studiously through the notebook wondering who this Thjion person was.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Alrighty then. So they have met and it did not go over well! How will this turn out now? Just read._

_DaughteroftheEmpire: You're reviews totally cracked me up! Glad you're enjoying, and I have no idea where I came up with the fish thing... I think maybe from watching sharks attack school's of fish and none of them seem to notice this giant killer coming at them until it actually attacks. YAY for Animal Planet! And yes, little brothers are a pain. I'll trade you a brother for a sister!_

**Disclaimer: You know the routine.**

Captain Pallaeon entered the Thrawn's mediation room to find a rather disturbing sight. The Grand Admiral was slouched over, grasping a data pad with a tortured yet reminiscent look on his face. Pallaeon considered slipping out now and coming back a bit later claiming that he was held up. It was too late though as Thrawn looked up just as he was about to step forward.

"Gilad," Thrawn spoke in a soft tone. Pallaeon decided he did not like being called by his first name by the Admiral any longer. It just was not right.

"Yes sir?"

"How do you apologize to someone for torturing them and then give them some rather unexpected news?" the Chiss asked. Pallaeon was admittedly lost. He was about to ask for clarification when Thrawn spoke again is a far off voice. "I just tortured my brother." Pallaeon's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"I thought he couldn't be that though!" Pallaeon said completely confused at how this could have happened. On the upside, he did feel less stupid!

"The question is how could he not not be a relative of mine. First, he is daring. One does not leave in the middle of war to find an exiled person. It's just not done! Second, he looks like my father. It's actually a bit frightening the resemblance. And third he found our "buried treasure" Thrass and I hid under a floor plank when we were kids. Only a family member could have found it. Finally, the blood work says it's true," Thrawn outlined.

"Well, uh, what should we do Sir?" Pallaeon asked, desperate to be given something to do, preferably far from here. He just was not used to this emotional side of the Admiral. He understood this was a huge event, but it kind of scared him.

"Take him to the medical bay, have his wrist set. I shall apologize, but will not tell him until after the interrogation process has been completed. He is still a rebel for now," Thrawn declared.

"Actually, I never did finish telling you what else he said as it was irrelevant at the time. He's not a rebel; he is willing to betray the New Republic in return for you. He just fought with them so he could eventually gain access to our territory to search for you," Pallaeon told him. "We don't have to keep him prisoner."

"Excellent, but that doesn't make sense. That doesn't make sense as to why he didn't know who I am. The Rebels have a copy of our records and census. He should have found out from them. Then we are in a war so he should have heard something. Unless... unless they purposely hid me from him meaning that he impaired his search, endangering our world! We could use this against them and get Thjion on our side. He's certainly intelligent and able. With a bit of training, we could mold him into a superior officer. With us at the head of the Empire, we would be unstoppable. We could even get rid of our Jedi Master," Thrawn thought out loud. Pallaeon perked up a bit more at the idea of getting rid of C'Boath. The crazy clone Jedi Master terrified him, and the Force-less bubble the ysalamiri created did work, he still feared that C'Boath would find a way around it.

"Very good plan Sir, I will do that immediatley," Pallaeon responded and left. Thrawn sighed and stared back at the crude signature of his older brother, his friend, his hero. He felt terrible still about what had happened, wish with all his heart he could bring Thrass back.

"I promise Thrass, I'll take good care of him," Thrawn promised the spirit. He had had an excellent older role model, and he just hoped he could be as great to Thjion.

XXXXXXXXX

Thrawn paced the waiting bay nervously. He'd actually done more damage to the wrist that previously thought so it was taking a while for the medic to set the broken bones. This did not help matters at all. He tried to distract himself by forming an apology, but nothing was coming to him. 'Hey, sorry I tortured you. By the way, I'm your brother,' just did not seem to be the best idea. He sighed angrily. He was a Grand Admiral! He devised complicated strategies on a daily basis. This should not be so difficult!

"You may see him now Admiral," the medic said, stepping out of the room. Thrawn thanked him and stepped inside.

"Oh, great! It's you again. Come to break something else?" Thjion retorted bitterly.

"No, I did not. Actually, I can to apologize. I was out of line. But I hope you understand, your... claims were highly doubtful and certain precautions had to be taken," Thrawn explained in hopes of helping Thjion understand his reasons. Plus he was highly stressed and taking his anger out on a rebel felt good, but he wasn't going to mention that.

"Precautions? Precautions are running tests or searching my background, not snapping my wrist!" Thjion yelled.

"Well, those can be manipulated and inaccurate. Most people won't keep lying when their bones are about to be broken," Thrawn reasoned.

"Most people you said. Does that mean you don't believe me?" the younger man asked confused.

"To the contrary, I do. I ran the tests and they confirmed your story and the objects I confiscated also rid me of any doubt," the Admiral corrected. He paused, wondering how he was going to go about the next part, but that was not necessary.

"Great, so you're going to tell Thrawn?" Thjion asked, his eyes bright with success.

"No I'm not. There's no reason because-" but Thjion cut him off.

"What do you mean there's no reason?" he yelled. "There is every reason! Our world is at stake! Innocent people, children, could die if I don't find him soon! All that stands in the way now is you! I mean, who do you think you are?" he raged. Thrawn just had to let himself smile at this one. He could not have planned this better himself.

"I am Thrawn. Mitth'raw'nuruodo to be more exact, former commander of the Springhawk of the DF, younger brother of Mitth'ras'safis and apparently older brother to you, Mithh'jio'nuruodo, exiled for leading a pre-emptive strike ," Thrawn answered, hoping to convince Thjion that he was not lying just to get answers. Thjion stared at him, his mouth slightly open is disbelief.

"And you say I'm a liar? Who's faking their identity now? Anyone could have known that; it's available in any library or the holonet. Now who are you really?" Thjion asked again.

"I swear to you, I am Thrawn," the admiral said again. "Ask me something, anything, to prove it." Thjion thought about it for a minute before speaking.

"Two questions. One, did you really want to join the military?" Thjion tested him.

"No, I wanted to be an art critic, but I did exceptionally well in the basic history and military science classes, enrollment was down so Father basically enrolled me. Turns out it was better than I thought," Thrawn answered. Thjion nodded, indicating he was correct.

"Alright, a very little known fact, but it's possible that's on the net as well. So second question, what does Father really do in his office when he gets home from work?" Thjion asked with a small smirk, sure that he would get his wrong as only family members could possibly know this.

"Assuming he has not changed his habits, he turns the radio up to full volume and sings show tunes so no one will hear. He also gets very irritated when curious children open the door and catch him in the act," Thrawn answered, remembering the chewing-out he had gotten after doing just that. Thjion's expression turned to pure shock.

"Oh my, you are him." Thrawn nodded. "But that means... I've found you... and you can come back and help us!" Thjion said excitedly.

"I can't do that. Not yet at least," Thrawn told him, causing the boy's face to fall.

"But why not? Tell this Grand Admiral person that you need to leave, family emergency or whatever, and come with me. It's been four months since I left them Thrawn. We'd just defeated them, so that gave them a month to rest and rebuild, but we took a great toll then. We need to get back immediately!" Thjion cried.

"Thjion, I can't do that. I would leave if I could, but I just cannot," Thrawn protested.

"Listen, I know this Grand Admiral is evil and cruel, but-" Thrawn opened his mouth to object to such a comment (rebel propaganda no doubt) but they were both interrupted as an irate Jedi Master burst in.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn, I insist that I return to Wayland immediately. How do you expect me to run my empire off this ship?" C'Boath stormed, continuing with a rant about a lack of stability. Thrawn simply cringed as he imagined the look of horror and perhaps disgust that presented itself on Thjion's face. He opened his eyes to see the expected result.

"You're the Grand Admiral?" Thjion whispered in minor shock.

"Who is this, Admiral Thrawn?" C'Boath asked haughtily, a bit taken aback that he was not informed of this.

"We'll talk about this in a minute. I really have to take care of this," Thrawn told Thjion quickly as the Jedi did not do well with waiting. "Master C'Boath, this is Thjion, a relative of mine who will be joining us for the remainder of the war. Now, what is so urgent that you needed to interrupt us?" Thrawn asked bitterly, turning his attention to the clone.

"I do not appreciate you're tone Admiral. I do not know what loose standards the former Emperor held, but I demand your respect. You boy," C'boath addressed Thjion, "I suggest you gain a set of manners, unlike you're father here!" Thjion went to object, but Thrawn cut him off.

"Excellent advise, it will be considered. Now, you had something you wanted to talk about?" Thrawn pressed.

"Yes, of course, I wish to return to Wayland at once. I have chosen that for my capital and want to return there. You will prepare me a shuttle now," C'boath ordered. Thrawn had been hoping to keep him around for one last battle, but the clones were proving far more skillful in battle, so he really was not needed. Plus, he did not want Thjion subjected to the abuse and devistation that was C'boath's charm.

"Of course. I will inform the crew right now. Have a good flight Master C'boath," he bid the aged clone out of societal expectations. Secretly, he hoped he was shot down and killed. It would save him a lot of work. "Alright, my apologizes Thjion, that was just a small matter of annoying... are you all right?" Thrawn asked slightly confused as Thjion now wore a look of total dispare.

"You are the Grand Admiral, and they didn't tell me? I thought they were such nice people, that they really wanted to help, but they set me up to destroy you. I can't believe that!" Thjion mumbled. Although this was the effect Thrawn had been wanting, he did feel bad. Thjion had considered these people as his friends, so he decided not to be so harsh.

"I know. You should have found out. Even if they did not want to tell you, I was in the census files. The rebels are using the old Senate building and they have a complete copy of our data bases. However, I would have done the same thing. You have a relative in a high position of power and you're asking for help. If your plan works, an alliance could be formed and suddenly the Rebels have a new enemy. Still, they wronged you and threatened the saftey of our family. Now, you asked for my help. I cannot just abandon the Empire. I do have responsibities here. Once the rebels are defeated, and I think with two more battles we could defeat them, I will go to Csilla with you," Thrawn promised. Thjion smiled and leaned forward as if to embrace his brother but hesitated considering what had just happened and instead extended his good hand. They shook stiffly.

"Well, let's leave. You seem to be healthy and I generally do not like the med bay. Plus, you have some questions to answer, and probably a few to ask," Thrawn directed.

"Naturally. Does this mean I'm going back to the cell?" Thjion asked mournfully.

"Definatly not. You are not a rebel, you are the brother of the Grand Admiral, and I need a glass of wine so the questioning is definatly not happening in a cell. What about you?" he asked, ready to get this dreadful day over. Thjion looked at him as if he were a tad crazy.

"Uhm, I don't drink. We aren't allowed to," he said slowly. "However, water would be welcomed."

"That prohibition law is still in act? You need to fill me in on what's been happening. Oh, and we don't drink the water here," Thrawn told him.

"Why not?" Thjion asked worriedly.

"Don't ask." And with that Thrawn lead his brother out of the clinic and into a new life.

_A/N, part 2: Okay, so the ending was cheezy, but it's 1:00 in the morning forgive me. Please review, don't comment on the ending... or my spelling, I know it sucks. Thanks! More coming up either tomorrow or Sunday. Probably Sunday._


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Summer school sux! I spent three hours learning to type a s d f j k l ;!! I mean, do I look incompetent in typing? NO! Now, teach me to spell when I type, and that will be appreciated!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own most of this. Just Thjion and the plot._

Thrawn broke the mildly awkward silence with a mocking laugh at the expression Thjion made after tasting his wine for the first time. It had been a long day, and that look was just too funny.

"How can you drink this?" Thjion sputtered, trying to work the taste out of his mouth.

"It's an acquired taste. Now, down to business. Although neither of this really wants to do this right now, I need to know a few things. First, who is leading the Rebel Fleet?" he asked.

"Admiral Ackbar, though you should have already have known that," Thjion answered blandly. He was open to telling what he knew. Admittedly, there was a bit of guilt, but he snuffed that out remembering how they had betrayed him. This was merely a means to an end.

"That doesn't make sense though," Thrawn exclaimed under his breath. "Every plan was tailored to him, but they didn't work!"

"Oh they would have," Thjion assured him. "I just foiled them. He had a mental block or something. The counter attack was clear, and yet he could not see it." Thrawn felt better, knowing it had not been a weakness on his part that had led to the failure.

"Yes, what was you're job specifically?" he inquired. Was he the official Wrecker-of-Thrawn's-Plans Officer?

"It's a bit complicated. Initially I was just supposed to identify a pattern in your attacks or a weakness that could be exploited. Once that proved fruitless, I was transferred to Ackbar's ship to offer suggestions and ideas. When we realized about the mental block, I became his other half in a way. He started a battle, and I finished it. How do you create your strategies by the way?" Thjion asked eagerly. This had been a question that had plagued him for months.

"I study the culture of my opponent then take their mental limitations and design a plan around that. If you have an organize minded enemy, then you create an abstract plan that they cannot comprehend. With Ackbar, he cannot see anything but what is right in front of him. However, I am the one questioning right now, so silence yourself," he ordered in a soft manner (soft for an Imperial Grand Admiral that is). "Now, what are the current plans of the rebellion?" Thjion laughed.

"Plans? They have no plans. They figured they would defeat you in a month or so. It was really calm on Corusant supposedly. I don't know. I guess now that I'm gone and you have an advantage now, they'll follow up their search on your cloning program," he offered up. A plot formed in Thrawn's tricky mind and his eyes took on a clever glint. Thjion wondered briefly if he should worry for his safety until Thrawn switched on his comlink and hailed Pallaeon.

"Captain Pallaeon, I have two assignments for you. First, send a moderately heavy coded message in the direction of the Rebel Fleet, or better yet their capital, that mentions our cloning base on Wayland. Make sure they intercept it. Then evacuate 70 of the clones of the planet without triggering C'boath's suspicions. We might just be able to get rid of the rebels and C'boath in one hit." Pallaeon must have acknowledged the request as Thrawn returned his attention back to Thjion. His mood seemed to have improved quite a bit in those thirty seconds. "Well, that should be all for now. Anything else you feel I need to know about?" he finished.

"No, I don't think so," Thjion said.

"Alright, so back to your questions. This has come as a big shock for you hasn't it?" Thrawn sympathized, turning to big brother mode. Thjion nodded in agreement.

"It has. This morning, you were the enemy, the horrible Grand Admiral who wanted only to enslave the universe, and now you're the one person I've been searching for. I just don't understand why you joined the Empire though. I thought they were pro-human," Thjion commented.

"I didn't chose them, not really. Captain Parrack found me on that rock. I caused him quite a bit of trouble and he figured I would be a good asset to the Empire so he brought me to the Emperor and I was trained. I was subjected to a lot of discrimination and I had to work to prove myself. Admittedly, the idea of quitting came to my mind more than a few times, but I would have had no where to go. Besides, when I finally got my own small fleet, things were pretty good. You see, I was on the political scene for a bit, but I was causing too much trouble so the Emperor "exiled" me to the outskirts to do some mapping and generally to lay low. He respected me and did not want me for an enemy so he kept me around. Turns out he respected me enough to make me one of the twelve Grand Admirals after one of them... didn't work out too well, but that was kept secret. So you see, I really did not have a chose in the beginning, but it turned out well," Thrawn summarized.

"It sounds like it did. Uh, so you're the Emperor now?" Thjion clarified. This was not totally clear to him.

"Yes. I refuse to use the title, but I am in charge now. The Moffs would like to think they are, but I call the shots for the military and that basically is what the Empire consists of. Everything right now is connected back to the military, so I am it's leader,"Thrawn decided.

"Then who is that crazy old man from earlier and why did he say it was 'his Empire?'" Thjion pointed out.

"Jedi Master C'Boath, he is a mentally unstable clone who is confused as to his identity. He agreed to help me control the pilots in return for power. However, he is the most arrogant person I have had the displeasure of knowing and he deemed that only a Force-user could rule, so he crowned himself. Thankfully, he should be out of the picture soon," the admiral predicted. Thjion thought about this, and another bit of the earlier conversation came back to him.

"Why didn't you tell him I was your brother, not your son?"

"The less he knows, the better. He did not need to know so I felt it was not worth telling him," Thrawn answered. Then his expression fell just a bit. "Do I really look old enough to be Dad?" Thjion almost laughed at this show of insecurity.

"No, I just look young. Krealla likes to tease me about it sometimes," he admitted. "What?" Thrawn was giving him a very strange look that reminded him too much of Ignoriten encouraging him to talk to some pretty girl.

"Who's Krealla? You're girlfriend, wife?" he suggested. Thjion made the "post-wine" face at the idea.

"She's our cousin!" he yelled in disgust. Thrawn apologized swiftly and turned a dark shade of purple from blushing. "That's alright, you didn't know. She's Uncle Ferngus's daughter," he explained.

"The poor child, her genes are terribly tainted. So how is the old scab?" Thrawn bit out. Thjion found this nickname to be rather odd, and he had a feeling he did not want to know the story behind it.

"He died four years ago," he answered awkwardly. Thrawn grimaced slightly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he mumbled.

"Don't be. He hated you," Thjion told him. He probably wouldn't have known about Thrawn had it not been for Ferngus though. His uncle had been over and become slightly inebriated and ended up going on a rant about his brother. His parents had tried to stop him, but the damage was done and Thjion then knew he had another brother.

"Well," Thrawn drawled sarcastically, "there's something shocking! I suspect most of the planet hates me after all that, but actually, Ferngus and I had always been at eachothers throats. He probably rejoiced my exile. So tell me about Krealla."

"She's really sweet and only seven. She's living with us now because her mother could not support her due to a chronic illness, and it kills her every time I have to leave, but returning makes it worthwhile when I get off that shuttle to see her running at me, curls flying like crazy behind her. She's the only one I told about leaving. She understands why I had to leave, but she doesn't understand the repercussions and still expects me to show up. I made her promise to remember what I told her and to stand up for me when she gets older. In fact, she gave me this so I wouldn't forgive her," he said, pulling the drawing out of his pocket and handing it to Thrawn.

Thrawn's eyes began to swell with tears at the sight. There stood his parents with Thjion and a little girl. They were waving and smiling. He missed his family so much, a side effect of being the baby. He wanted to be there with them, to be a part of this happy scene. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Thjion standing over him, smiling sadly.

"Leaving them was the hardest part for me too," he said comfortingly. Although it hurt to say it, Thrawn admitted that leaving his family had not been that hard at the time.

"They had not spoken to me since my first code offense and the accident. Leaving them wasn't hard after years of seperation. I missed them, but it was not much of a difference," Thrawn explained.

"What was?" Thjion wondered.

"Leaving Liana, and no that's not her real name of course, but she went by that. Her parents were one of the few people to venture outside the Ascendancy and being literature professors, they became well versed in the foreign mythologies and Liana was one of the heroes they told about," Thrawn answered. Thjion was blown away at his answer. He had never known that Thrawn had any sort of a relationship. None of the reports said anything about it.

"I had no idea about her," he said.

"No, you wouldn't. Oh, look, I've gone and corrupted your mind! She was my best friend, nothing like that. It was a low key relationship too. I was gone most of the time so no one really had to know. But she stood by me the entire time, and she made it hard to leave," he admitted. "Well, this had become dreadfully depressing, and it is getting late. We should retire for the night as we have a lot to do tomorrow," he ordered slightly out of desperation to change the subject. Thjion nodded and turned to leave. "Where in the galaxy are you going?" Thrawn wondered aloud.

"Back to my cell," Thjion answered. Thrawn sighed and pulled him away from the door.

"And here I thought you were intelligent. I told you, you are not a rebel so you shall not be treated like one. You will stay here with me as is normally expect of family. Then again, with your thick-headedness, I'm beginning to question our relationship," Thrawn gently teased him. Thjion rolled his eyes wondering how much worse his brother could get.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Not mine entirely.**

Thjion swore he would die of boredom. No man, especially one in the military, should take a hour to get dressed! Unfortunately, Thrawn did not seem aware of this. He had been ready to leave for the last forty minutes and was about ready to break down the 'fresher door. He fell over onto his side with a highly exasperated sigh.

"Well, that was hardly becoming," Thrawn commented sarcastically, stepping out of the 'fresher with a cloud of steam. He was crisp and professional looking, his hair slicked back and tame, the uniform unwrinkled and spotless. He definitely looked like a Grand Admiral.

"What took you so long?" Thjion asked in return, his voice raised a bit higher than it should have been.

"One cannot put too much time into their appearance. And what do you mean I took long? You're still not ready!" Thrawn countered. Thjion looked down at the wrinkled flight suit and self-consciously smoothed is less-than-perfect hair.

"Sorry, but this is the best I can do. I didn't prepare for an extended stay," he explained. Thrawn sighed and dragged Thjion into his room.

"I did forget about that. I take it whatever is under that is hardly presentable as well," he commented as he began digging in his closet. Thjion quickly undid the zipper, forgetting that he was wearing something underneath this. That seemed like information he should not have forgotten. Beneath was his DF uniform in the worst condition of its existence. He stripped of the orange suit for Thrawn's judgement. Perhaps it would pass here. The half-hidden Admiral (the closet was like a battle zone) stuck his head out and smiled sadly at the sight.

"That looks good on you," he complimented him. "It's a total mess, but I'm sure it's quite becoming normally. Change out of that and I'll have that sent out to be cleaned. For today you can wear... aw here it is!" Thrawn exclaimed, emerging with a dusty box. He removed the cover and pulled out an older, more worn version of Thjion's uniform. "I think we're about the same size, so it should work for today." Thjion gingerly took the clothing. This was something deep and personal and he feared ruining/disgracing it.

"You still have this?" Thjion asked.

"It was what I left in. The other commanders frowned upon me taking this, but it was a symbol of a big part of my life. Now, get dressed. We need to go," he instructed. Thjion quickly changed, or as quickly as one can with a broken wrist. Thrawn was right, it was a close fit. It was a bit too big, but it probably looked alright. He went to change out the ranks, but Thrawn stopped him. "No one will know the difference, don't bother. Besides, as a representative of a foreign power, you need to look like you are in charge." He shrugged and they left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

To say that Thjion received odd looks on the way to the Bridge was an understatement. People openly gawked at him and whispers followed. Thrawn instructed him to ignore it, but it was rather difficult. He had gone from a nobody to being an anomaly. The New Republic had hid him away so no one had paid him too much attention. Unfortunately for Thjion, the few people they passed in the corridors was nothing compared to the Bridge. The two brothers entered and everyone froze. Not only was it uncommon for Grand Admiral Thrawn to join them (he was usually hidden in his quarters) but there was another blue-skinned, red-eyed alien with him who happened to look rather important. Pallaeon noticed the lack of activity and ordered everyone to return to their stations. Thjion had turned a nasty shade of purple from all the attention. Thrawn, on the other hand, paid it no heed.

"How is that message going Captain?" he asked unfazed. Thjion was almost shocked at the change in his brother. He had been so friendly and personable this morning and now he was stiff, detached, and well... military-like. He had expected some change, but this was rather extreme. Thrawn must have noticed a minor startled expression grace the other Chiss's face because he looked over a smiled ever so lightly. Thjion figured that he was the only one who saw the change.

"It was sent just ten minutes ago. The coding arrangement was too heavy originally. We also attached a bug to see if it was intercepted. I do hope that was okay. It was too late to ask when I thought that perhaps that may appear suspicious," Pallaeon indirectly apologized. Thrawn however, saw no problem with it and seemed rather pleased.

"That was excellent thinking actually. A message containing high profile information such as this would be expected to have some sort of spy-ware on it. They should interpret it as us being cautious considering the last few months. Good work Captain," he praised him subtly. Pallaeon was clearly thrilled with the compliment but contained his composure.

"Thank you sir," he replied simply. Thrawn glanced over the reports that had been presented to him. He gave a swift nod of approval.

"Well, it looks like everything is just fine. We should be prepared for our attack on Wayland and Bilbringi in a week." This announcement caused a minor pause in the work, but the officers here knew well enough that the Grand Admiral was not to be questioned.

"We're attacking Wayland sir? In a week? I fear I do not understand," Pallaeon admitted utterly confused. And how did Bilbringi come into this? Was that system not under their control?

"Yes, we are, though from a mostly defense postition. The rebels will pounce of the oprrotunity to attack our _undefended _cloning base. Besides, I have a feeling that not a whole lot of force will be needed to deal with them as Wayland is not their only target. Plus with our new guest, we should have no problem now," Thrawn reasoned, gesturing towards Thjion. The eyes of most the room turned (mostly) inconspicuously to the unfamiliar officer in the black uniform. "Oh, I nearly forgot, I do not believe you two have been properly introduced. Captain Pallaeon, this is _Commander _Thjion of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet_. _Thjion, Captain Gilad Pallaeon." The two shook and Pallaeon welcomed him aboard. "He will be joining us indefinitely until we reach an agreement about an alliance," he spoke in code, meaning until he was able to escape to help Csilla. Pallaeon was informed enough to know what he was talking about.

"Very well sir." The three stood there for a moment watching the others work before Thrawn spoke again.

"If nothing urgent is going on, I would like to speak to you privately Captain," he said. Pallaeon said that he was able to leave and handed the bridge to the next officer. They left and went to the meditation room. This was Thjion's first time here and he was confused as to why there was a secondary bridge and why no one was using it. He also realized that Pallaeon was glancing distastefully around the room.

"Is everything alright Captain?" Thjion asked in concern and wonder.

"Yes, it's just that the admiral's personal Noghri has been rather absent lately," he answered. Thjion could not place it, but the name 'Noghri' rung a bell and he immediately disliked this creature.

"Rukh is to stay only in here from now on Captain," Thrawn told him in response. "I shall explain later. Right now, we have a battle to plan and matters to discuss," he redirected their attention, waving them over to a simple desk in the corner that Pallaeon could not recall seeing. Then again, the room was usually filled with art work so that was not entirely surprising. Everyone took a seat and they began.

"I take it you both are confused about this," he stated the obvious. Thjion gave him a "you figured that out on your own?" look and Pallaeon nodded hesitantly.

"Admittedly sir, I do not understand why we are attacking Wayland, it has been beneficial to us, and why is Bilbringi of any concern to us?" the captain stated his concerns.

"I gave you no information on their plans last night and now you mysteriously know their next move? I have no idea how that happened," Thjion said coolly. While he could shoot less than dignified looks at his elder brother, speech not be hidden as well so he made sure that his tone was formal and reserved as was customary for Chiss. Thrawn gave a small smile with a nod informing Thjion that he was in fact correct.

"It would be in your best interest not to question it," Pallaeon advised him. "I have learned to just accept it. The Admiral is usually correct." Thrawn's ego swelled just a bit. He would not call himself proud, but that did feel wonderful having his superiority acknowledged.

"Actually Commander, it is not intuition that tells me this, but a careful study of the rebels. We sent a message to them, revealing discreetly where are clones are being made and they are going to pounce on that, especially as their Intel. will inform them that it is relatively unguarded. A small fraction of our fleet will be waiting there when they attack to finish them off, though hopefully not before they can destroy the sight along with a certain faulty clone. You are right Captain, Wayland has been beneficial to us, but after we crush the rebellion, we will have the entire galaxy to recruit from and clones will not longer be necessary.

"As to Bilbringi, the Rebels leaders are no doubt in a panic over your capture Thjion, and they are going to make a daring move to prove to their people and themselves that they can win on their own. They think we are weak and shall decide to hit us where it would hurt most, our shipping yards. As it would be a great strategic win for them, the rest of our forces will be concentrated nearby to intercept them," he explained. The two other officers nodded.

"Do have any particular ships in mind for the two attacks?" Pallaeon questioned so he would be able to inform them of the plans as soon as possible.

"I already sent a list to you this morning. That Commander, is what took me so long this morning," Thrawn informed Thjion. "No male is able to spend an hour on their appearance and be in the military." Pallaeon raised an eyebrow at the interaction and exchange of silent information. This was a new side to Thrawn that he was unsure about.

"Very well, is there anything else?" he asked.

"Yes. Uh, Commander, would be please excuse us for a moment?" Thrawn dismissed Thjion gently. Thjion nodded and strode to the opposite side of the room. "Gilad, "again with the first name, "the future of my brother is uncertain right now and I need a favor of you. It is unsure whether he will be allowed to return home and I will not let what happened to me happen to him. I would like you to train him. Let him spend part of your shift with you and show him how to do your job. I think with time, he would make an excellent captain," he explained. Pallaeon was a tad taken aback that his mentor was prepared to eventually discard him for this stranger. He understood family responsibilities, but he did not like this. Thrawn sensed the betrayal that the captain was facing and smiled mischievously. "Besides, I think I could quickly grow to like the sound of Admiral Pallaeon." The Captain quickly cheered up, though to the average person there was no change.

"Of course Sir, it would be an honor to assist him," he conceded. Thrawn nodded gratefully and called for Thjion to rejoin them.

"It has been decided to expand your military learning as we both see much potential in you," he told the young Chiss. "Therefore, you shall spend a few hours each day with the Captain to learn the finer points of his job. The rest you will spend with me." Thjion acknowledged this, perfectly clear why this was happening. He had known that his ability to return to Csilla was jeopardised, and he was grateful for the assistance of his brother should the worst happen. "Very well, is there anything else urgent we need to talk about?" he asked.

"After this, what happens next?" Thjion questioned.

"Hoping that all goes as planned, we take Coruscant and bring the galaxy under Imperial control," Thrawn told him.

"And that would silence the fighting?" Thjion continued. Thrawn and Pallaeon stared perplexed at him.

"With every form of government, there will be someone who disagrees with it. No, the fighting will not end, but it should lessen," Pallaeon answered after a moment.

"Why do you ask?" Thrawn inquired curiously.

"I think your plan of absolute domination is not the best idea. I think you should capture Coruscant, but instead of ending that government, you should negotiate a treaty for peace that would allow the Empire and the New Republic to coexist. Then everyone is happy," Thjion answered. Pallaeon gaped at him. This was just unheard of. First, you did not tell the Grand Admiral that he was wrong, and secondly, you never suggested a treaty with rebels!

"That is... preposterous!" Thrawn exclaimed, his mind unable to imagine such an agreement. "What in the world makes you think that would ever work?"

"Well, you mean besides the fact that for the Ascendancy? We stopped trying to expanding, became isolationists and none of the neighboring systems have bothered us since with one notable exception. It does work. Two different governments can co-exist. Plus, this would bring total peace. Each system could decide who they wanted to affiliate with and there would be no argument," he reasoned.

"Or I could simply take Coruscant and bring everything under the Empire's rule as was originally planned. You know, I think I'll do that," Thrawn argued back sarcastically.

"Yes, because that worked so well in the past. I mean, these people, Mon Mothma and Organa Solo are so opposed to the Empire and they will not accept it. Doesn't that follow your whole psychological stuff about them being unable to comprehend a monarchy?" Pallaeon was surprised by this argument and it did almost make sense. Thrawn however did not agree.

"While that may be true, they simply had to accept this shift in rules. Besides, no one would accept it. Every person of power here would be after my head if I did such a thing. We have fought too long to simply let all the blood shed go to waste," he justified his actions. Thjion shook his head.

"Do you remember nothing of our teachings? With death, there can be no peace," he recited one of the moral codes. "With battle, there is always death, but it always stops true peace. The families who have lost loved ones are never at peace after the conflict. You can keep a bit more order here if this can end in a truly calm and reassuring manner. These people who might come after you... well, they can accept this shift in rules," Thjion quoted back with a sly grin. Thrawn shook his head.

"Thjion, it does not work like that. While there might be aspects about that correct, it does not apply here. There are horrors beyond the galaxy that may very well one day threaten us, all of us, and I want to know that everything is secure when that time comes, and this can only be done if we are divided," Thrawn decided forcefully.

"With your plan you'll always be divided, but you are in charge and it is your call. I was just looking to offer another solution that maybe would also allow you a more stable environment to leave in," he reminded the Admiral of the reason he was here.

"Believe me, nothing will interfere with that," he promised his younger brother. He might not have kept his every word, but this one he would keep. Only death would prevent him from helping his family now. He glanced over at the extraordinarily uncomfortable captain. "And what are your thoughts on this Captain Pallaeon?" he asked. The older man glanced down for just a second than returned to the glowing red stare of the Admiral.

"While it was never an option I considered, it is not one that should be cast completely aside. Perhaps it would be best to have that open as a backdoor for whatever reason," he took the middle ground.

"Perhaps," Thrawn consented. "I put you on the spot, I apologize Captain. You may return to your duties until I have further details to discuss," he dismissed that Pallaeon. He stood and saluted before leaving at a brisk pace.

"I'm sorry brother, I should not have argued with you like that," Thjion apologized. Thrawn waved his hand dismissively.

"Do not worry about it. That is what your teachings have taught you. In the farther edges of the galaxy, they work well. Here," he sighed despairingly, "here there is corruption, complex power struggles, and a romanticized view of war. Everyone, rebel or Imperial, wants this battle to be over, but at the same time we are too proud to call it a draw now."

"Is this true or is that just you and your mental block?" Thrawn laughed. His brother was a fast learner.

"No, it is not just me. While we are from a proud people, this idea has been demonstrated repeatedly by the local cultures," he answered.

"How do you know that?"

"Allow me to show you. Tell me little brother, do you like art?" he asked as was his typical question when people asked about his cultural source material. Thjion shook his head, confused as to where this was going. He knew Thrawn liked art, but these two things did not seem entirely related.

"Vader's boot!" he swore lightly. "Does no one around me appreciate the finer things in life?" he asked the world.

"I'm sorry, scribbles just do not interest me. Why aren't you answering the question?" Thjion asked back. Thrawn inhaled deeply and pressed a button on the desk, hundreds of holoimages and sculptures filling the room.

"All around you are pieces for the more popular cultures in the core worlds. What looks to you like scribbles or a pretty picture, is in fact a deep well of knowledge about the mental make-up of that species. Things like attention to detail, structure, color, the subject matter are all highly important when it comes to battle. When you understand a species' art, you understand that species," he told him. Thjion was curious now, and got up to begin inspecting the various images with a new eye. However, he just could not understand.

"I am afraid I cannot see it," he admitted.

"That's alright, with practice, you will be able to," Thrawn assured him. They travelled about the room, Thrawn pointing out differences and their significances. Eventually though, various reports and updates were sent in that required the admiral's attention. Thjion sat there awkwardly as Thrawn attended to business.

"So tell me, why did you join the DF?" Thrawn asked during a particularly dull interrogation report.

"You," he answered simply. Thrawn looked up for a moment, one eyebrow arched for further explanation and just a bit of shock. Thjion sighed and admitted his one secret. "I had two heroes in my life, you and Thrass. I admired you both and while you were completely different, you both had something important to teach me. I could never actually admit my feeling for you to anyone for several obvious reasons and so I felt that in tribute to you, I would take the military path... and office work bored me to death. Mom and Dad nearly had a heart attack and I was warned severely not to end up like you and disgrace the family. I guess that did not happen," Thjion joked. Thrawn shook his head.

"You're not like me." Thjion hung his head ever so slightly and mumbled an 'I know.' But Thrawn did not mean it like that. He went over and cupped his brother's face in his hands, forcing him to look him in they eye. "You're a million times better. In the short time I've known you... in the last twenty-four hours, I've come to respect and admire you. I missed out on many years of your life, and I regret that now. I look forward to getting to know who this amazing relative of mine is," Thrawn told him sincerely. Thjion's eyes shown brilliantly and he was unable to keep a humbled smile from his lips. Thrawn smiled back and the two embraced.

_A/N: Decided I liked these at the end better. I got most of the way through this last night, but I had to be up early so I didn't finish it. I have what should have been the next chapter started, but decided that there are some questions that need to be answered back on Coruscant. So sorry, no Thrawn or Thjion in the next chapter! Well, maybe a bit... idk. Please review!!_

_Stargazer: I actually forgot he met the original, but I do imagine that there meeting was short-ish so Thrawn probably did not get a real taste for him. Plus, the original had to be more sane than the clone! But thanks for pointing that out!_

_Daughter of the Empire: Liana is not a huge part in this story... or at least not right now depending where this goes. I have two endings right now and I have no idea which one to use. Depends on how happy I am that day._


	10. Chapter 10

The bridge was a hum of activity as Thjion shadowed Captain Pallaeon. It was a quiet day and there was not much that required the captain's attention. Drills had already been run and the coordination details of the upcoming battles were taken care of. The hyperspace jump would be made shortly, but that was an easy process. Overall, Thjion was rather bored. He was a fast learner and he had a fairly good grasp on what a captain did. He had come to the conclusion that all military systems had the same systems. This navy was the same as the Republic's, and was quite similar to the CEDF with just different names and a few minor details. To say the least, he would rather be with Thrawn discussing some painting, mental limitations of various species, or their pasts. However, he knew that he needed the experience just in case this was to be his future, and Pallaeon was fairly good company, a tad removed and formal, but pleasant enough. He also made for good conversation. The other day they had gotten stuck in a repulsorlift for about half an hour and had had a pleasant chat about Smash and its core counterpart, Table Ball. It turned out the Captain was quite an enthusiast. However, it was quite bad to have the captain of a ship trapped in a repulsorlift so their conversation had been cut short.

Now, however, Thjion was going to make sure that their conversation today was not interrupted; he had questions that needed to be asked. Despite the Admiral's warm feelings towards him, the truth of the matter was that he had been severely betrayed by his family, and Thrawn was not totally open about personal information and was actually reserved most of the time, as if he were compensating for the emotion he had shown lately. Plus, there were things Thrawn could not tell him about himself, so he was going to question Pallaeon. Thrawn was in a holomeeting with the Grand Moffs and from the foul mood he had appeared to be in, it was clear that he would not be out until late. He would be wound up and would not be the best of company. The signal came in for Pallaeon to make the jump and within the minute, the stars faded into the blue lines of hyperspace. The captain sighed and turned bridge command over as his shift ended.

"You may go now Commander," he dismissed his student. Thjion nodded in acknowledgement, but did not leave.

"I've told you before to call me Thjion, I am not Commander. My rank more closely resembles that of a Lieutenant," he corrected with a sigh.

"I know," Gilad conceded, "but I was ordered by the Admiral to address you as such, and I am not about to go back on one of his orders." Thjion gave the smallest of smiles. This was the window he had been waiting for, and he pounced.

"Are you afraid of my brother, Captain?" he asked in a mischievous tone. The captain glanced about to see if anyone had such a comment. He was a proud man and while he would admit his faults, admitting that he was afraid of his superior officer was not something he did lightly. He lead Thjion into a more secluded area of the corridor before speaking.

"I am not afraid of Grand Admiral. He can be intimidating at times, but he is an honorable man and I am lucky to serve under him, so I am not about to displease him by going back on something barely more than a favor," Pallaeon told him stiffly. Thjion raised his eyebrow in that questioning look he had picked up from Thrawn.

"Care to explain that statement further Captain? It was quite loaded," he continued. Pallaeon sighed and looked up at he ceiling for a moment.

"You had this planned out, didn't you?" he questioned back. The older man swore that he would never underestimate alien intelligence after this battle was over. It was apparent now that the Grand Admiral was not simply an anomaly, but probably hardly above average amongst his own people. Unless of course his family was just extraordinarily intelligent... what he heck, he was not going to risk being outsmarted again. Thjion laughed slightly.

"More or less, we were going to talk no matter what, you just made it a bit easier for me," he answered. "I was fully prepared to tie you up and hold you hostage until you answered my questions. I'm glad it did not come to that." Then again, stupidity can be misinterpreted as intelligence. He had yet to figure this boy out, something the two chiss had in common. Pallaeon would never figure them out.

"Very well then, what do you wish to know?" he gave in. If there was one thing he knew for sure, this species did not joke so if Thjion said he would tie him up, then he would. Thjion clapped him on the shoulder and began leading him back to his room.

"Things you probably would rather not say in the open. Come back with me, we'll have a drink while we talk," Thjion told him. He glanced over to see Pallaeon looking rather uncomfortable. "Oh ease up Gilad, I was joking about taking you hostage. Really, I am not incapable of humor despite the cold front we put up. Thrawn can be just like Dad at times. Always formal and rather the mood killer, shame." Pallaeon's mouth formed a straight line as he was, once again, proven wrong about how much he knew about the universe.

--

The mood in the board room of the New Republic Council was grave and tense. The stress had become a living thing and was infecting every space available. Mon Mothma, Leia Solo, and Borsk Fey'lea though were by far more uneasy than the other occupants. A few more people filtered then the silence indicated that it was time to begin. As Mon Mothma stood, Leia felt a comforting Force nudge come from Luke as he gave her a half smile. He had been readmitted into the military due to the bitter retaliation the Empire would now inflict upon them. She attempted to smile back, but it was looked like a painful grimace than anything else. She turned to focus on what Mon was saying, knowing that it would be best to be aware of what was going on.

"Several months ago, Senator Organa Solo was contacted by a representative of the Chiss Ascendancy, a foreign government in the Unknown Regions. The representative, a Lt. Thjion according to transitional ranks, came here in order to search for a relative of his in order to further assist his world in a viscous battle. Unfortunately, that relative happened to be none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn. The senator came to myself and Senator Fey'lea for assistance and it was deemed that we would not reveal the identity of our enemy as this information could have led to an alliance between the Empire and the Ascendancy, a chance we did not want to risk. Upon further discussion, I encouraged him to help us with our mission and he began searching to find a pattern in the Imperial attacks. This eventually led to an unofficial commission with Admiral Ackbar, and has been the secret to our success these last four months. However, I was just informed that Lt, along with fourteen other X-wing fighters, has been captured and is being held aboard the _Chimaera._" She paused to let this information sink in. From the strengthening of the tension, people fully understood. She took a deep breath and continued. "While I would like to believe that we will not be betrayed, the truth of matter is, our security is in jeopardy. We need to move quickly to end this war. That is why I propose we commit 100 percent of our military force to an offensive battle." Normally, this would have been something the council would have fought about, but the situation was dire. Nods and murmurs of agreement met this statement. "Very well then, the please give your attention to Admiral Ackbar as he has had some thoughts about the issue."

The attention shifted and the Republic leader sat back down with a hefty sigh. This had been a difficult time for her, as it had been her decision to let hide The Grand Admiral's identity from Thjion. Leia had tried to warn her, but she had risked it and now it was back firing. She barely listened to the Admiral's proposal to attack the Imperial shipyard, Bilbringi, and gave the appropriate comment of approval at the intercepted message about the cloning facility on Wayland; it just did not seem to matter now. She had failed her people, and might still lead to their downfall. The Admiral finished and she dismissed the council. Leia placed a comforting hand over hers and tried to assure her that it was not her fault, but it did not help. She stood with the group and walked out, but did not speak to anyone. She needed to be alone.

Leia watched the broken leader go and felt a pain wrack her heart. She could have stopped the commision, she could have followed her instincts, the Force be damned, she knew it was wrong! Tears filled her eyes and she gladly wrapped herself into Han's warm embrace. He guided her back to their apartment, knowing that she would hate to be seen in such an emotional state, and let her cry all her frustration into his shoulder. He listened to her vent about how this was her fault, how the Force had been wrong, about the destruction of the Republic was all her fault. Eventually, there were no more tears.

"I failed," she whispered weakly. He stroked her hair and shushed her.

"No, you made a mistake. You're only human, Leia, and you can't hold yourself on such a high platform. Anyone could have made that mistake, just as Mon Mothma did," he tried to comfort her.

"But I'm not just human, I'm a Jedi, or the daughter of a powerful one. I should have been able to have seen that coming. Why didn't I know? Am I weak? I've felt things before!" she argued. Han gave her a blank, helpless look.

"I, uh... have you talked to Luke about this?" he asked pathetically. As if on cue, Luke came in hesitantly. Han breathed a sigh of relief and excused himself under the terms of giving Winter a break from the twins.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Leia gave him the run down of her frustrations and worries, though in a more calm state this time. Luke nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Leia, you worry too much. Thanks to your inability to block your thoughts, I have known about your plan, and I too have monitored the Force just in case. Believe me, there was nothing to notice, except a potentially positive shift. You are not weak, you just are not trusting still," Luke assured her. Leia stared at him, amazed at how mature he had sounded. She was reminded vaguely of her adoptive father, Bail Organa, and how he used to talk to her when she came home from school distressed about some trivial bit of drama. She could not help a small smile forming on her lips at the comparison.

"Well, it's difficult to be trusting of something that is so obviously wrong. How can this be a good situation Luke? We just handed Thrawn a dangerous weapon! It will take a miracle for us not to be destroyed, much less actually win this war!" she countered. There was something missing from this picture, and she did not like it. Things had been so much simpler before she knew about her Force ability. Right now, destroying the Death Star sounded like a walk in the park compared to interpreting the Force.

"Have a bit of faith," he told her. "I feel really good about these plans, and things will work out. Perhaps, just not in the way we expect them to." She shrugged and sighed. Whatever the outcome, if it did not end in total destruction it would be unexpected.

--

Thjion watched Thrawn move about the room from his sofa, trying to piece together the complex picture Pallaeon had painted of his older brother. He was confused to put it lightly. The captain had described him as loyal, opinionated, fair, brilliant, clever, ruthless (at times), understanding, and proud. So basically, Thrawn was a walking contradiction. He was a Chiss who had no problem starting a fight. A man who did not tolerate failure, but encouraged learning. Someone who would fight for his leader, but would refuse an order if it endangered his men. He wanted peace, but would take it in a violent manner. Did he miss anything? Thrawn glanced up from his datapad and stopped pacing to return Thjion's stare.

"Is something wrong?" the Grand Admiral asked after a moment, unsure as to why he was being analyzed.

"I don't understand you," Thjion answered bluntly.

"Well, you're still quite a bit of a mystery yourself, but I don't sit there staring at you for hours on end," he countered. Thjion sighed. It had only been a half hour!

"What I mean is that there's like two sides of you. We have Chiss Thrawn and Imperial Thrawn, two totally different people, and someone how they have managed to mesh together into one body and I have no idea how that's working out!" Thrawn responded with a dignified version of the 'Bantha in front of the Speeder' look. He opened his mouth twice to speak, but nothing came out. Usually, he would have had a witty remark, but this was just so unexpected, he had no idea what to say. Thjion continued rattling on about how he contradicted his personality and what-not, but eventually he cut him off.

"First, I think it is dangerous to leave you and the Captain alone anymore, as he has clearly provided fuel for your... dangerous thoughts. Second, I am at perfect balance, and it is working out quite nicely. Third, what are you getting at? There is clearly a deeper meaning here," he listed off.

"I want you to reconsider the surrender. It's a good idea and will work far better in the end." Of course, and now Thrawn understood why Thrass had rejoiced when he moved out, away from his little brother. Why he had ever wanted a younger sibling was beyond him now.

"No, absolutely out of the question. I have had this plan worked out since before you existed... in an existential point of view. It will work just fine. Now, no more of this surrender nonsense," he stated finally. However, Thjion was stubborn and finally Thrawn had to lock himself in his bedroom to drown out most of the noise. Thrawn slid down the door and looked up at the ceiling as if for guidance. The picture of Thrass's face filled his mind, appearing to be projected on the metal tiles, and he spoke the two most sincere words he had ever spoken: "I'm sorry."

A/N: Ah, little siblings, you gotta love 'em. Poor Thrawny, at least he's cool most of the time! So, sorry for how long this chapter took. It was just that chapter that you have to write, but you don't really want to. Kind of like math homework, you don't want to, but you have to. Only this was actually fun at times to write. Maybe if I had had some reviews I might have been more motivated! wink wink, nudge nudge Well, the next chapter is basically written, but I'm going to be out of town for a week so it will have to wait until then. REVIEW PLEASE so I can have something happy to look forward to. Love ya'll! moonservant


	11. Chapter 11

A/N of shortness: Make sure you read Chapter 9 and 10!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, Thrawn, or anything familiar like that. **

The battled raged on outside, the rebels suffering terrible losses. Thjion stood stoically at Thrawn's side, his face set in stone at the carnage his former friends now faced, though he kenw it was ultimattely for the greater good. Already, he could tell the Republic Fleet would be severely damaged. Thrawn's plan for ultimate destruction apparently would be successful... for now. Thjion was still uneasy and had mentioned the treaty a few times to him, but he still refused to enact it. For some reason, Thrawn seemed totally opposed to a peaceful end.

A warning blink appeared on the Wayland battle monitor and Thrawn ordered a minor adjustment, shifting the Rebel cruiser in the defensive postition. It was truely amazing to watch Thrawn work. The confidence with which he operated and the insight into the mentality of his opponent was simply incredible.

"Well, this has gone on long enough," Thrawn finally said with a bored sigh. "The finishing blows should be made soon. The rebels really don't stand a chance, though thankfully they still managed to finish off the base. I expect Pallaeon will be here shortly with the offical reports then we will be headed to Coruscant within the hour if all goes well," he estimated as Thjion walked over to one of the holoimages nearby. He caught sight of that dreadful Noghri, Rukh. He seemed to be taking stock of something on his arm, it almost looked like he was itching, though not quite right. His red eyes narrowed as he tried to remember why this seemingly harmless gesture bothered him.

"So you think our next attack will be successful?" Thjion asked to keep the conversation going.

"Oh yes, the rebels won't know what hit them." Then everything fell into place. Rebels, Leia, Noghri, traitors, assassins, he turned to face Rukh as if in slow motion and watched him with new eyes. The Noghri took no notice, not recognizing the new threat, but just focused on his target. Thjion had heard of their skills, and realized that he, unarmed, was no threat at all. Rukh tensed and Thjion began running, not wasting the time to yell. As the Noghri sprung, a knife unsheathed, Thjion dove in front of the target, having just managed to yell 'Thrawn' before the blade pierced his chest.

Thrawn spun and fired four bolts into the traitorous alien, rendering him dead. He cast the blaster away and knelt beside his baby brother, applying pressure to the wound. He prayed to every divinine being that Rukh had been an inch too low for immediate fatality. He fumbled with his comlink and frantically called for a med team.

"Come on Thjion, hold on," he called desperatly. He'd finally met this amazing part of his family and now he could not, would not lose him.

The team ran in and droids lifted him onto a stretcher as the doctors began assessing the situation. Although their med-speak made little sense, their tone was stiff and serious. The team forced Thrawn away and carried Thjion to the med wing; only one doctor stayed behind.

"What's the outlook?" Thrawn asked hollowly. He did not get up; his eyes did not leave the spot Thjion had just occupied; he just knelt there.

"He's in for a hard time. The blade was rough and barbed, adding to already severe damage. None of the major organs were hit, but severe tissue damage was done and probably a few blood vessles were hit looking at the blood loss," the medic reported. Thrawn nodded at the grim report, a hollowness beginning to seize his heart.

"Admiral," Pallaeon's voice chimed in over the comlink, "the rebels are on the retreat. What should we do now?" It took a moment for his mind to catch-up, but he soon remembered that his fleet was involved in two major battles and he had a duty to his men. Besies, Thjion would be in surgery for awhile and there was nothing he could do.

"Let them go. We've achieved our goal. Contact the rest of the fleet. Anyone who can make it should rendevous at Coruscant at 0900 hours in two days. Oh, and I'm ordering the execution of all employed Noghri." The line was silent as Pallaeon comprehended this.

"Very well sir," he finally answered. He knew that over an open line was not the proper place to ask. Thrawn expected he would be here in a few minutes to question him. "I will transmit the reports to your terminal." Thrawn acknowledged it and let the line go silent. He looked down and let the stillness crash down on him. There were no tears, no agonizing screams or sobbing; there would be a time for that later.

With a sharp throat clearing, he stood and assessed the state of the room and himself. A small pool of blood was the only evidence left, as the team had also removed Rukh's corpse. His uniform, stark white as it was, was stained crimson red. He would need to change later, but he had neither the time nor the will. Sure enough, the terminal beeped as the reports arrived. He walked over and forced his mind to concentrate, but reading about death and damage was trying. Thankfully, Pallaeon interupted half way through the third one.

"I wondered when you might stop by," Thrawn commented, turning to face the Captain.

"Yes, well your message was rather... what happened? Are you injured?" Pallaeon asked seeing the blood.

"No"

"Then who-"

"Thjion."

"How?"

"Rukh planned to assassinate me. Thjion managed to block the attack. The knife pierced his chest. He's in surgery now." His tone was even and in control, but there was an edge to it that Pallaeon could not remember hearing there before.

"Are you alright, Sir?" Pallaeon asked refering now to his emotional state. He had seen how fond Thrawn was of the boy, and he knew this had to be hard for him. Thrawn's cold persona fell away for a second and he gave Pallaeon an appreciative smile though his red eyes managed to still look sad.

"Yes, thank you," he replied simply. It was a short phrase, but Palleon knew there was so much more in those three little words. The icy mask was replaced that Thrawn slipped back into Grand Admiral mode. "There's nothing I can do for him now, and there are other matters that require my attention. I need to finish these reports and create a plan for Coruscant. Duty comes first, does it not Captain?"

"Of course Sir," Gilad responded and turned, recognizing a dismissal. Thrawn turned back to the reports and let a deep sigh leave him. While his mind wanted the Republic to feel his grief, for him to take his revenge, his heart just was not into it anymore, and that was going to make this crucial battle all the more difficult to plan.

A/N or realness: okay so hopefully you all saw the author's note I posted that explained what had happened. If not, keep reading. So, the Chiss are supposed to be a relatively peaceful people, they don't like pre-emptive strikes and it makes sense to me that they would not want to totally destroy their enemy if a peaceful means can be reached. I also wanted to slap cannon Thrawn a few times for not ending the war peacefully and seeking total destruction of the New Republic, I thought he was above that. So, we have Thjion now, someone who could potentially persuade Thrawn to see a bit of reason and convince him that negotiations are the best way to go. I know I used the term surrender earlier, and that was my bad word chose which I shall now blame on the fact that Basic is Thjion's second language. It would consist of the Empire ending this war on their terms but letting the New Republic continue to exist. A cease fire if you will. Alright, so that's the explanation in short. As I said, make sure you read chapter 9. No one reviewed it (I thought maybe you all hated it or were indifferent) and I think maybe you just missed the update. That explained everything. Okay, so please review!! Love ya'll!

-moonservant


	12. Chapter 12

He was so pale. His skin was the color of snow and his heartbeat sounded too weak, but the doctors reassured him that he should be fine. Thrawn still had a hard time believing it. The doctor's tone was too... forced and hesitant. He understood Thjion was still in a critical condition, stable, but critical. As they approached Coruscant, Thrawn worried further over how the battle might affect his brother's condition. Should the Republic decide to fight back, any jarring of the ship could undue the healing, or something could fall on him, or... no, the Republic was in no condition for a battle. The Empire would surround Coruscant, the Republic would be forced to surrender, give it a day and a treaty would be signed, giving both governments equal rights to space and planets.

He was actually going to allow the New Republic to stick around. Whether it was his sympathy towards everyone who had lost a family member as he almost did, or whether it was Thjion's logic, he was not sure, but he knew this was the best way to end this epic war. Pallaeon agreed with his decision too, although he openly support any end to the war. This was truely the right way. After all, the reason he had done everything- faced years of prejudice, started a base of Nirauan- it was all for the protection of the Chiss, and here he was, about to give that up for a matter of pride. No, he needed to conclude this and get to Csilla as soon as possible. If everything went right, he could be in-space in about eight standard days.

The familiar shudder of leaving hyperspace ran through the ship. Thrawn listened for a minute to ensure that there were no changes in Thjion's vital signs, before wishing his brother good luck, and leaving for the bridge. Everyone quickly made way for the Grand Admiral. It was common knowledge what had happened to Thjion, and no one was sure how the Grand Admiral was handling it. For all they knew, he was another Vader at the moment. If he had not been in such a staid mood, he would have smiled at the crew's apprehension. After all, they had worked with him for as long as five years or so and they still believed him capable of irrational anger. Thankfully, he did not need to worry about such behavior on the Bridge. Everyone there knew what was expected of them, and it did not change.

"Captain Pallaeon, what is the fleet's status?" he asked once they were close enough to not shout. It was imprudent and highly unprofessional to shout across a room.

"Five Destroyers are already in system, including the _Death's Head, Admonitor, Iron Fist, Avenger,_ and _Jurisdiction_," Pallaeon reported. "Then there are the ships assigned to them and so on. In all, we currently have about 200 ships and quite a few fighters." Thrawn did actually smile at the lack of proper military terms. However, he understood that numbers were still coming in so nothing was set in stone yet. "I received confirmation that we should be expecting another 10 Star Destroyers."

"Excellent. We'll give them another standard hour to arrive, then we attack. Make sure that all ships are dispersed evenly throughout the planet. The only way for this to work without a fight is to have pressure upon the entire planet. You received a M.O.I. about the coordination of this assault. Radio the others and make sure they can get to their assigned area. I want this done quickly and securely. The Rebels cannot know about this yet!" he pressed the matter. This needed to be a sneak attack. One wrong move and this could end up being another Hoth. Hopefully his commanders were more competent though.

"Of course, I'll take care of that personally."

XXXXXXXXX

The Force worked in mysterious ways, and even Luke could never fully understand it, but he hoped that this great enigma would be quickly solved. The former Imperial Palace was in an uproar. The entire planet was surrounded by fifteen Star Destroyers and hundreds of more minor ships. Any hopes of a fight was lost. Billbringi was still too new, the Republic was crippled, Coruscant could be destroyed any second now. And yet the Force rejoiced.

As Luke tapped into the mysterious power that surrounded all living things, he felt a sensation unlike anything he had ever felt before wash over him. It was the feeling of absolute peace and tranquility. Never had he felt such a thing, and he wondered what was happening to explain this. Had the Jedi been confused all along? Had the Empire in fact been the right side of this conflict? Or was this the Force's way of making death a comfortable thing? Either way, Luke walked over to where his sister stood hunched over a transmitter.

"Nothing makes sense anymore Luke," she uttered. He could feel her immersing herself in the Force too, pondering its meaning. There was a double meaning to that sentence though too. The Empire had appeared almost out of no where. The jumps had been planned perfectly. One second the skies around Coruscant were clear, then next they were surrounded.

"I know Leia, but the Force has its reasons. Only time can reveal its meaning," he assured her in a teacherly way. Something about that made him sound like Master Yoda.

"I just wish I knew now," she barely managed to finish before an obnoxious beeping signaled an incoming transmission. Mon Mothma was signalled over and as the woman prepared to face the unknown, Luke noticed how much older she appeared. This war had taken its toll on her, and the evidence was obvious now. Mon pushed the button and a mini version of Grand Admiral Thrawn appeared in the War Room.

"Greetings President Mothma," he hailed. The room fell deathly silent and the anticipation grew into its own organism. "As you are well aware by now, you are surrounded and any hopes of defense is futile. You are faced with two options now. First, you can struggle and jeopardize the lives of the New Republic's citizens. Or, you can surrender and agree to a peaceful negotiation of terms and conditions for the future coexistence of the Galactic Empire and the New Republic." No one had expected such a thing. Mon Mothma noticeably lost control of her shock for a second, but composed herself. While neither option was completely desirable, the chose was obvious, and Luke felt the Force swell and bloom in his chest.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn," Mon Mothma began steadily, her tone shakier than normal, "if your fleet will back down, the New Republic would be glad to meet with you to discuss the terms... of our surrender." And with that, the epic civil war drew to an end. The Empire had won, but there was still hope. The Force assured him of that.

_A/N: So if it were not for the fact that it is 9:15 on a school night, I would have combined this chapter with the next one, but that is not going to happen. Sorry I stopped writing this, but no one was reading it anymore and people were getting lost, so I just stopped to kind of force them to go back and reread so that any questions could be answered. However, there has been a surge of support and I would hate to end this in such a critical part of the story. I will continue with this. Please review! I want your feedback!_


	13. Chapter 13

"Hey, you look nice," Leia heard Han say as he stepped into their room. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, and flashed a bittersweet smile at his rugged appearance. Even through this tense hour, it still humored her how Han's idea of dressing up is washing off grease. He was still her rugged smuggler. She turned back to the mirror and adjusted a few loose curls and smoothed her white gown.

"Do you think so? I think I look under-dressed," she commented apprehensively. He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I'm under-dressed. You look quite respectable. Sophisticated yet humble which I think is kind of the message we are trying to present to the galaxy. It'll be hard to get voters on our side if our leaders look as haughty as the Empire," he assured her. Leia sighed. In about two weeks, elections would be held on every planet to decide what government they would belong to. It had been quite a shock to hear Mon Mothma relate such a suggestion from the Empire. This Grand Admiral actually wanted a coexistence? It would be interesting to see how this turned out. "Come on, we have to go. It starts in ten minutes. Mon will have our heads if we're not with her," he urged her. With one final analysis of her appearance, Leia and Han left the apartment.

"Glad to see you didn't exert yourself Han," Luke joked as he met them in the corridor. Leia let her tension ease a bit at the sight of her brother. Through all of this, he had been the constant source of calm in this. He took it upon himself to reminder that the Force was embracing this decision, and that the treaty would not back-fire. Still being new to the world of the Force, she was less likely to listen to the mysterious energy, but it had never led Luke astray before, and she took some comfort in this.

'_Calm down Leia,'_ Luke told her telepathically.

'_I won't be calm until the elections are over. My entire life has been spent in some sort of rebellion with the Empire. I can't just let it all go this quickly,'_ she shot back. Although her other force abilities were still rough, communicating with Luke was very easy. It would be interesting to see if the twins possessed such a connection.

_'You are still new to the Force, but the sooner you come to trust it, the better off you will be.'_ Leia shot him a glare. Sometimes her brother sounded far too wise for his age. But he was right. She needed to get to know the ways of the Force better. Perhaps she would have more time now that the war was over.

The extensive courtyard atop the building was packed with people, most of whom were visiting diplomats. There was also a large crowd of media, both Imperial and Republic in origin. Many languages filled the air, adding to the excited tension. Leia grasped onto her husband's hand for support as the sheer magnitude of the occasion washed over her. This was really it. It was really over.

The trio made their way to the front of the crowd were a makeshift stage had been erected for the event. Several Imperial politicians and military figures were there, mixing awkwardly with the New Republic representatives. While Leia made an attempt to speak with the various admirals, the majority of the Imperials shied away from them. Luke had quite a reputation with the Imperials, and Han and Leia had their fair share of stories. To say the least, they were not the most popular people in the New Republic. After about twenty minutes, a Captain Gilad Pallaeon announced the arrivals of Grand Admiral Thrawn, Supreme Commander of the Galactic Empire, and President Mon Mothma of the New Republic. A hush fell over the crowd as the two leaders emerged from behind the large hedges behind the stage. The two each made grand speeches, though Leia felt that Mon's lacked in comparison to the Grand Admiral's, about the wish to coexist together for the security of a united galaxy. Granted, politics were still thrown in as each side managed to mention the superiority of their government, but in reality, it was a civil occasion.

Finally, the moment they had all been waiting for came. The treaty, an over-sized datacard, was carried forth by two Imperial officers and two New Republic representatives. The terms of the surrender were read for all the worlds to hear, and finally, it was signed. As Mon Mothma set aside the electronic pen, the crowd burst into cheers and sobs. The two sides greeted each other as allies now with less tension than before. Leia smiled as another wave of relief and elation washed over her through the Force.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn, I would like to compliment you on the eloquence of your speech. It was quite moving," she approached the Admiral. He greeted her with a stiff bow.

"Thank you Ambassador Organa Solo. I hear you are quite the speaker yourself. I look forward to hearing you speak in the future," he returned her praise. She nodded in appreciation.

"Thank you sir, but I feel you are mistaken in my ability. I was wondering however, if I may inquire as to your brother? How is he?" she asked, eager to know what happened to Thjion. Thrawn inhaled deeply and Leia thought she noticed a shift in his countenance.

"He's currently hospitalized in a rather critical condition. Two weeks ago, my Noghri, Rukh, stabbed him in the chest in a failed attempt at my life. Ambassador, I will beg you to spare me your hollow condolences. We know of your betrayal, and I will tell you now, that he was crushed by it. He thought rather highly of you and it is thanks to him this treaty was formed," he informed her harshly. Leia felt her heart break. She had been rather fond of the young Chiss, and it pained her to know of his physical and emotional pain. She wanted to express her sorrow, but the Admiral would not hear it.

"I do hope he recovers swiftly, and I wish the both of you the best of luck on your quest to help your people. If you will excuse me," she dismissed herself. The Admiral bowed once more and walked away. What had she done?

XXXXXXXXX

"Crew, attention!" Thrawn ordered as he crossed the bridge. Everyone snapped to a stiff, upright position with their heels together, hands aligned to their pants seams, and eyes looking straight ahead. Thrawn vaguely noticed that they actually looked professional now. He approached Captain Pellaeon and analyzed him for a moment. Gilad, while about the same age, was definitely older looking than Thrawn. His sandy hair was greying and his face was lined from the difficult years he had faced. He had been through the war almost from the start and had served diligently. While Thrawn still had much to teach him, Pellaeon was a gifted and knowledgeable leader who shared many of his own moral and professional views.

"Captain Gilad Palleaon, in view of your patriotism and fidelity to the Galactic Empire, I, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Supreme Ruler of the Galactic Empire, hereby promote you to the rank of Admiral," he announced. The crew clapped as Thrawn presented Pellaeon with his new ranks and saluted him. Pellaeon, while doing a good job of hiding most of his emotion, was glowing with the excitement of this surprise promotion. Thrawn had been hinting that he wanted to promote the new Admiral, but apparently no one expected him to actually go through with it. In light of recent events though, he found that it was quite necessary.

"Congratulations Admiral, now, if you would please come with me, we have some serious and complex matters to discuss," he directed.

"Of course Admiral," Pellaeon assured him, a smile gracing his normally stern face. The two men left the bridge and the normal buzz of work continued.

XXXXXXXXX

Pellaeon stared Grand Admiral Thrawn with barely disguised shock. He had just been revealed highly secretive information he could hardly comprehend. His mouth opened a few times, but his throat would not unclench to allow words through. He managed a sort of cough, took a deep breath, and finally was able to speak.

"Are you quite sure of this Admiral? All of this preparation and caution, are you so certain of failure?" he managed to ask. Thrawn's back was to him, his head nodded in concentration. He nodded once.

"I will admit, I have no idea the outcome of this voyage, but there is no way I can avoid it. I will not allow Csilla to follow without a fight, but I cannot trust that I will be allowed to leave. I was exiled only through the sympathy of a few committee members. I should have been executed. Besides, even if the Chiss allow me back, the Vagarri are vicious. I do not know what kind of threat we shall face out there. If I could, I would bring the entire Empire down on them, but in this unsteady time, we cannot be spared. I need to know if anything should happen to me, that the galaxy will be protected, that I did not die in vain. You are the only person I fully trust to carry on in my place," Thrawn explained. He ran his fingers through his hair as he turned to face Pellaeon. In two days, he would be leaving for Csilla with Thjion. He had received word from the Doctors that he was regaining consciousness and would be mostly healed in about a weak if the Bacta worked correctly. He would be healed by the time they got there. However, it finally dawned upon him the gravity of the situation. He was an expatriate and Thjion was a deserter. There was a chance he would be able to get away with returning on the grounds of diplomacy, but that was highly unlikely and Thjion would have to make an amazing case in his defense to not be shot as a traitor. He still had a duty to his people and would not abandon them, even if that meant forfiting his life. However, he would not leave the Empire without some security. He had revealed to Pellaeon the location of several secret journals with his notes for his vision of the Galactic Empire, the people who needed to be watched, and suggestions for potential reorganization of the fleet. Hopefully, that would give him a head-start should the worse occur.

"Very well Sir," Pellaeon responded gravely. "Will you be taking the _Chimaera_ with you?" he asked as was expected.

"No, there is too much symbolism in this ship for the people to lose it. I think I'll return to the _Admonitor_," he decided. It had been his ship for many years and he was rather fond of it. Besides, it had the most complete star charts of the Unknown Regions and had a translator specifically made for the lesser known dialects found out there. _"_I'll take that and whatever ships the Captain has under his command. Admiral, if you could contact the Captain and inform him of that, I would be much obligied. I need to contact the medics and prepare for Thjion to be transferred," he dismissed the new Admiral. Pellaeon saluted and turned to leave.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine Admiral Thrawn," Pellaeon said before he finally exited. Thrawn's shoulders slumped and tortured sigh escaped him. He could only hope so.

_A/N: YAY! So part 2 begins. Uhm, so someone asked about what's going to happen with the Vong, and I'm just going to admit right now, I don't know enough about them to actually write that. This story will end before any such thing happens. Well, uh, thank you to all my reviewers! I love hearing from you all. Please feel free to provide constructive criticism. I reread a good part of this and my spelling is terrible. I have gotten in the habit of rereading though, so there should be some improvement now. Also think I was spelling Pellaeon's name wrong for most of this... yeah, so don't feel the need to restrict yourself to just praise._


	14. Chapter 14

"Admiral, we'll be dropping out of hyperspace in twenty minutes," Thjion called from his post. Thrawn nodded in acknowledgment and glanced over at Captain Niriz who was nervously drumming the command board. While Thrawn had a great respect for the Captain, and while they had had many good times together in the past, he was in no mood for Niriz's nervous habits and wished longingly for Admiral Pellaeon's quiet nature. He was nervous about this upcoming battle, and he could tell that the crew was just as scared. Ever since Thjion had been healthy enough to walk around- albeit, with the aid of crutches- he had been drilling him on the Vagarri fleet. He needed to know what kind of weapons they were using, what any common tactics were, and the such. What he would have liked was a piece of their artwork, but that was strictly out of the question. In fact, as far as he knew, they were an artless culture. From what he could see, they had not changed much, but their numbers could have increased and there was the chance that they would be outnumbered.

"Are you ready for this Thjion?" he asked his brother, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Thjion shrugged as he continued to watch the monitor.

"I'm never ready for battle of course. But it's as good as it's going to get," he answered. That was the cheater answer. "I'm glad that I'm serving with you though. I trust that you'll make it through this. You beat them before with even less luck on your side. If we're lucky we'll have the rest of the DF with us plus a fair number of Imperial ships. You're smarter than you were then, don't worry about it." Thrawn smiled. While his brother had a point, he could not help feel like the new commander he had been last time. He had been limited in his knowledge and had relied mostly on theory and a bit of creativity. It had been a hard fight at the time. Sure he was better armed, but the haunting memories of decades ago still plagued him. Then there was what would happen afterwards. Thjion was insistent about returning to Csilla and there was little chance the Chiss would just let them leave. If they survived this battle, they would have an entirely new one ahead of them that would be even more difficult.

"I hope you're right che'chi," he murmured. Thjion mildly blushed at the affectionate term. He was not used to being called that.

"Since when was I your heart?" Thjion whispered back, afraid to let the other crewers hear.

"Since I got the blood tests back and realized who you are," Thrawn answered. "So do you really think we will be welcomed back?" he asked. Thjion shrugged again.

"I don't know anymore. I would like to think that they will be able to see our reason, but it's doubtful. Does it matter though?" Thjion questioned.

"No, no it doesn't. Either way, we are bound to help our family, and we will not turn our backs on them. Five seconds..." Thrawn noticed the chromometer. Thjion counted down the seconds then pulled the lever, jerking the ship back into real space.

The sight before them was unlike anything Thrawn had imagined. The Vagarri fleet had tripled in size since he last saw it, and their ships appeared even more ferocious. He could tell from the lumpy appearance of the vessels, that they were still using prisoner shields. That would make it hard for most beings to attack, but thanks to Palpatine's propaganda, their fighters would barely blink an eye. The same could not be said for the Chiss fleet. Apparently, whoever was in command was sympathetic for the prisoners and rather naive as most experienced officers recognized that half of the beings were already dead. The Chiss, once a mighty military power, were barely holding their own in this fight.

"Orders Admiral?" Captain Niriz asked from his side. Thrawn felt the familiar wave of command flow through him, something that he had not had before. These people were loyal to him, not to a silly code, and they would fight to the end. Plus, he was more experienced now and had defeated this nemesis before.

"Send ten squads of TIE's to aid the Chiss Fleet. Those fighters are rather nasty. Tell them to remember, if it's silver, do not shoot it! The rest are to aid us in an attack against the main fleet. Start at the head and work backwards. Oh, and if the Chiss try to hail us, send back the message 'YRG.' They'll understand it," he directed. The TIE's were launched and the fleet charged forward. The next half hour was a frenze of cannon fire, near hits, and deadly explosions. The Empire lost one Star Destroyer and three minor ships along with a number of TIE's, but with the aid of the newly empowered, Defense Force, the Vagarri were finally destroyed. It had been a merciless battle; no prisoners were taken.

However, a victory was not the only thing this battle provided for Thrawn. It had been a joy to watch Thjion take command of the Bridge. Where he had once been a shy child, he was becoming a decisive leader. Perhaps someday, he would prove to be a valuable part of the Empire. First they had to survive this journey and the hard part was not over. The Empire was given only a few moments of solace to collect themselves when the Chiss Fleet hailed a second time. Captain Niriz, who was supposed to be the first point of contact, was forced to relinquish that job to Thjion as he had no hope of learning Cheuhn.

"The battle is over, identify yourselves," the image demanded. Thrawn studied the flickering figure. He appeared to be the Commander, but looked too young. He had to be not more than twenty which was highly unusual... though not unheard of. His voice also wavered as he spoke, meaning that he was still new to the leadership world. The Ascendency must have been hurting in order for this man to reach such a position.

"We are representatives of the Galactic Empire, come to aid in your battle against the Far Outsiders," Thjion reported. Thrawn had made it clear to him that he was not to give their personal identities away unless requested.

"The Galactic Empire? From the Core Worlds? You were not contacted about our troubles. How were you informed?" he asked. Well, there was no hiding this now. Thrawn inwardly cursed the commander for not blindly accepting the help.

"Sir, I am a former officer of the Defense Fleet. I asked the Empire to help us in order to protect my family and people," Thjion admitted. The Chiss Commander appeared shocked, though the humans on board would have never seen the difference.

"What is your name?" he asked tersely.

"I am Lieutenant Mitth'jio'nuruodo." The officer ordered someone to the side to check the name and only a minute later was handed several datacards.

"Lietenant, you are charged as a deserter and are to be arrested and tried in a court of law. Surrender yourself," he ordered sternly. Thjion went to protest, but Thrawn forced him aside.

"Actually Commander, he is not allowed to do that. He is under the protection of the Galactic Empire and the New Republic and any attempts to seize him will be taken as an act of aggression. Now, Commander... what is your name?" he asked, realizing that the introductions had remained rather one-sided.

"I am Commander Tryt'ren'nuruodo, and you would be?" he inquired.

"I am the head of this fleet and the Empire. My name is not important yet. Now, I would like to speak with your House leader. Is that possible?" he continued. He was not so eager to reveal that he was an exiled person just yet.

"I'm afraid that all communications to Csilla are down at present. I do carry the jurisdiction to handle diplomatic issues off-world," Ytrenn told him with an air of importance. Thrawn chuckled slightly at his ignorance.

"Wonderful, then you may grant us diplomatic immunity once we reach Csilla?" he presumed.

"Naturally, but I assure you that we are a peaceful people, and that the Empire's... claims to the Lieutenant will be observed in the immediate future." Thrawn resisted the urge to laugh again. It had been a stressful two weeks, and playing with this child was too amusing.

"Well I an afraid Commander that the situation is a bit more complicated than you know. In order to discuss matters of this officer's protecton and guilt, as well as a potential alliance, I am required to meet with the House Representatives. However, I am not welcome to Csilla at present, so I require your diplomatic immunity," Thrawn explained vaguely. A more experienced officer would have perhaps asked the nature of his restrictions, but Ytrenn was too new and inexperienced that he blindly promised the fleet immunity.

"If you will follow us, Sir, we shall guide you to the Capitol."

"We are much obliged." The line fell silent and the Empire followed the Chiss fleet in as was proper protocol. Both Thrawn and Thjion felt their insides melt at the site of their homeworld. The ice above the city sparkled with the lights of civilization below its surface. For Thjion, it was a sign that he had achieved his mission and would perhaps be able to see him family again. For Thrawn, it was seeing his home for the first time in nearly thirty years. He'd accepted the fact that he would never return, and now he was back. Their excitement only increased as they boarded a shuttle to bring them down to the surface. Thrawn had denied the Stormtrooper attachment. While the Chiss might not be fond of him, they would not risk starting a war with the Empire now.

Thjion remembered his last ride down the surface. He had been filled with anxiety then too, but this time, it was a pleasant kind of anxiety. He would not be arrested, and would be able to see his family again. Sure, there was the nervousness of his potential trial, but that paled in comparison. He jumped up as soon as the ship landed and smoothed his uniform. He double checked that he was no longer wearing Thrawn's old ranks and impatiently waited for the ramp to lower. Thrawn placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The ramp lowered painstakingly slow for both of them, but eventually their greeting commitee was visable. Ytrenn was visible in the front and there were several other lower ranking officers behind him. Thrawn lead the way off the ship with Thjion walking at a respectful distance behind him.

"Greetings Commander..." Ytrenn began, searching for a name. Thrawn got that mischevious look that Thjion had come to be familiar with over the last few months. It was the look he got when he toyed with Pallaeon.

"Thrawn, Mith'raw'nuruodo."

_A/N: BUM BUM BUMMMM... cliffie. Sorry this took so long. I have been just unmotivated. I don't know. Just bear with me. Hope you liked this. Looking forward to the next chapter! It's fun. So, yeah. Read and Review!_


	15. Chapter 15

The clicks of seven blasters being cocked at the same time has a very theatrical element to it, and for that, Thrawn could appreciate the sight of seven barrels all pointing at him. Thjion tried to block his path, but Thrawn kept him out of the way, with a tug on his tunic sleeve. This was his battle, and Thjion did not need to get caught in it. He did not panic, nor did he draw his own weapon, but simply stared down at Commander Ytrenn. He raised one eyebrow slightly and sighed before speaking.

"Commander, if I might remind you, you granted us diplomatic immunity, and even had you not, shouting the leader of the Galactic Empire would be a terrible political mistake. I assure you, my ship would not understand, and Csilla cannot afford another war. Now, please take us to our House representatives so that this issue may be resolved quickly!" Ytrenn did direct the others to lower their weapons, but his remained firmly in place.

"Commander-"

"Grand Admiral," Thrawn corrected him. He may have left Csilla a commander, but that was no longer his rank.

"_Grand Admiral _Thrawn, as part of your sentence, you were never to return to this planet, and by doing so, you are placing yourself under arrest," he advised him lawfully. Thrawn nodded thoughtfully, but refused to surrender himself.

"Yes, that usually is the case, but all political alliances, such as the one we are attempting to forge, and prisoner protection, such as the case of Lt. Thjion here, must be discussed with the highest ranking representative on board the hailing ship, and I happen to be just that person. Now, we are in a tricky situation are we not? Much to complicated for a young commander fresh out of the Academy, no?" he indirectly insulted him. Ytrenn stood a bit straighter, but he did lower his weapon, admitting defeat in this case. He was aware of his youth and inexperience.

"Very well. However, the House is currently adjourned. I must go ahead and call a council and brief them on the situation and it would be risky for such a high political... enemy to be allowed to wander unsupervised throughout the building," he practically thought aloud.

"Might I make a suggestion, Sir?" Thjion interupted. Ytrenn gave him his full attention, though Thrawn noticed a air of indignation at being addressed so freely. Yes, the Chiss were an annoyingly proud people, a trait he was happy to be mostly free of. "Our parents' residence is just ten minutes from the House buildings, an easy distance away, and I can assure you that our return will very well prevent us from thinking of leaving. It would be a secure location for us to remain."

"Yes, I like it. Then I order you both to remain there until you are summoned to the House," Ytrenn determined forcefully. The two men agreed, finding it a most convienent location for their other purposes. A speeder was called and the two brothers headed off for home.

As Thjion drove, a nervousness clenched his stomach. His parents would be furious with him, yet he could not wait to arrive. He was so sure that he would never be able to return and now here he was, flying home. However, his selfless nature caused him to think also of his brother who was returning after nearly twenty years away. He glanced over and saw Thrawn staring out the cockpit sheild, a stange look on his stoic features. Thjion smiled and let him have his privacy. Today was a big day for both of them.

Thrawn was crying on the inside. Only military bearing and perhaps a tinge of pride kept the tears from showing. Twenty plus years, and here he was back home. The city had grown, a division was now clear between the urban and suburban neighborhoods, and traffic was denser, but it was still familiar. The ice dome over civilization still had the same blue tint and the buildings still shown white from their ice and snow origins. The air had smelled the same, and his language felt the same way on his tongue, a feeling he had nearly forgotten. There was just something about speaking Cheuhn in the icy air. He recognized the traffic ways they took, and he immediatley identified his childhood home as they began their descent. A young girl played in the yard and he guessed this to be the young Krealla, his cousin. He almost laughed at the idea. He had a cousin and he knew nothing about her. She did not look up as they approached, but continued to chase her floating ball that always floated away milliseconds before she grabbed it. Her black curls floated behind her and her blue skin and red eyes glowed with the very spark of innocence. Finally, as the cockpit hissed open, she looked their way and sprinted towards them as she recognized the pilot.

"THJION!" she shouted in an angelic voice that tugged sharply at their heartstrings. Thjion jumped from the cockpit in an uncharacteristic manner (at least from what Thrawn had seen) and swept the girl into his arms, hugging her tightly. Thrawn nervously left his seat and stood back, allowing the two some space. "I missed you so much! Did you find him?" she asked quickly. Thjion put her down, but didn't let go of her hand, and brought her forward to meet Thrawn.

"You bet I did. Krealla, meet my brother and your cousin, Mitth'raw'nuruodo." Thrawn extended a hand, but Krealla ignored it and threw her arms around his middle.

"Hi Cousin Thrawn. It's nice to see you! Have you come to help us? Are you staying here now?" she asked with the speed children reverted to when elated and inquisitive.

"It's nice to see you too Krealla. I am going to try and help, but I don't think I can stay that long. I have a job elsewhere that I need to do," he explained. He was awkward as he hugged the girl back, and Thjion tried very hard to control his urge to laugh at the scene. The great Grand Admiral Thrawn, conquerer of the Empire, unsure of how to handle a child. It was too funny.

"I hope you can stay awhile then. Come on!" she suddenly cried, taking both her cousins by the hand, "You need to see Auntie and Uncle!" Both their smiles fell once her back was turned and they exchanged nervous glances. In his moment of fear, Thjion wondered if this was what it felt like to get in trouble with his brother and know they had to confess the broken window to their parents, and how many times had Thrawn shared that look with Thrass? The door slid open and Krealla called out to the house, breaking the peaceful quiet.

"Auntie, Uncle, look who's come back!" she cried excitedly. Immediatley, the music in the study stopped and two sets of footsteps raced for the living room. The four adults froze as they saw each other. Their father glanced briefly at Thjion, then settled his stony gaze on Thrawn; their mother looked back and forth between the two, her eyes worried with years of stress. "Look, it's Thjion! And he found Thrawn who's going to help us. Isn't it great?" Their father just stared at his exiled son and ignored his neice's excitment. Their mother did smile though, however strained it was, and addressed her pleasently.

"Yes, yes it is. Now, if you would dear, go back outside and play. In fact, why don't you go over to Jrytic's house and let us have some time to... catch up?" she encouraged her. Krealla accepted the excuse and ran outside, but not before giving both her cousins a final hug.

"Glad you're back Thjion! Glad he found you Thrawn!" They waited for the door to slide shut before the yelling started.

"Why are you here?" their father asked in a deadly calm voice.

"We were ordered here," Thrawn explained as words were failing Thjion at that moment.

"You don't speak," he hissed at him. Clearly twenty two years had not removed the pain of disgrace. "What," he addressed Thjion, "makes you think you can come back here? You shouldn't have been ordered here, you shouldn't have been on this planet after that stunt you pulled. I thought we raised you well Thjion. We warned you of _HIS_mistakes and taught you the code, and you had promise. What do you do? You run off in search for your deliquent brother, disregarding your family, duty, and honor!" By this time, their mother was sobbing on the sofa and their father was turning purple. Thjion simply stood at attention, his face set against the onslaught of emotions. He was a sensitive being, and Thrawn knew how difficult this was for him. "I want you out of this house NOW!" Thjion swallowed deeply and looked towards Thrawn for help. He was raised to obey his father, but he was also ordered to remain here.

"He can't do that," Thrawn assisted him. "Go on up to your room, I'll take care of this," he addressed his brother softly in Basic. Thjion nodded and rushed up the stairs. Thjion left the room and it was silent except for their mother's strangled sobs. Thrawn turned to his father and spoke first. His father, while still aware of his seniority, was amazed by the presence his delinquent son had acquired over his exile. Thrawn had always been a forceful person, but this was a more refined and elegant power. He'd imageined this moment, and he never expected this. He always pictured a weak, starved, broken man crawling back for forgiveness. even beforeh e spoke, he knew Thrawn felt no shame in his actions.

"I'm rather disappointed in your both. I expected that perhaps you would have learned to trust your child's judgement. Thjion is not a common deserter! He risked his future and freedom, perhaps even his life, to save this planet. Why can't you see this? He didn't kill his brother, he didn't attack anyone _unjustly_, so why can't you see his actions are noble? You have an honorable son wiht outstanding morals, yet you tear out his throat for following your teachings," he said calmly. His mother looked mildly ashamed of herself, but she still, to some extent, shared her husband's bitterness and angry pride.

"Honorable? He ran off in a time of war to find a ruthless killer of a traitor against every aspect of the law!" he argued the obvious point-of-view. Thrawn ignored the jab at him. "That is not honorable."

"No, of course it's not honorable to find someone who can destroy the enemy killing your people," he shot back sarcastically. Had Captain Pallaeon been present, he would have died of shock, but some things transcended military bearing. With his family, the grand admiral fell away.

"But that's not the Chiss way!"

"We're too proud! We'd die before admitting defeat!" he yelled back, unable to bear this close-mindedness.

"Only you could defend him. He did what you did," his father shot back icily.

"Because only I've been willing to admit our shortcomings and do what was necessary. Do you seriously think I didn't feel some anxiety in knowingly breaking the Code? I thought long and hard about my decisions and did what was right in the end. I can assure you Thjion did the same thing." His father went to retort but the hologram lit up with an image of Ytrenn. He went to answer, but Thrawn beat him to it.

"Yes Commander?" he asked, now back in his military mode.

"You and Lt. Thjion are to meet with a council tomorrow morning at 0800 in the main court room. This is not a trial, nor is legal representation necessary. Until that time, you are required to remain at your current location," he informed him. Thrawn only managed to reply with 'understood' before the line fell silent. Thrawn imagined that Ytrenn was in serious trouble for allowing him on planet without knowing his identity. He almost felt sorry for him. The room behind him was tense as he turned around.

"Well, what do we do now?" he asked his parents. Obviously, kicking them out was not an option.

"You'll remain in your room until the meeting tomorrow and-"

"No," his mother finally spoke, her voice strained. "You both saw how happy Krealla was, and we can't crush that. It's bad enough we're fighting, we don't need to pull her down with us," she explained, her resolution getting stronger with each word. "We shall act like we are happy to be back together and get along for her sake. I know that affection will not be present, neither of you were that way anyways, but I do expect cordiality," she finished. Her husband's shoulders fell, but he agreed with his wife anyways. His niece did not need to be punished for this too.

"Krealla will be home in about an hour for dinner," he finally explained. "Until then, do me a favor and stay upstairs. In front of her, we shall be a family, happy to see each other again, but just stay away for now," he almost begged. Thrawn still held a great deal of respect for his father and nodded obediently before turning on his heel and following Thjion's path. He bee-lined for his old room and found Thjion lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He didn't look over as Thrawn entered, nor did he say anything as he sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

"I take it this is your room now?" he asked curiously. Thjion nodded his head before speaking after a tense pause.

"It's actually yours I guess. I'll move down the hall," he offered, but Thrawn shook his head.

"No, I always liked Thrass's room better. You stay here tonight. Tomorrow, we are to meet a council tomorrow at 0800. Mom and Dad have agreed that, for Krealla's sake, we're going to act like a happy family, so try and cheer up," he nearly ordered him. Thjion smiled and rolled on his side.

"I might be able to do that."

"I expect so Lieutenant. Now, why don't we get changed? It's hard to be filial in a uniform, no?" Thrawn suggested gently. Thjion shrugged but made for his closet anyways. Fortunately, his parent's hadn't purged his room out of disgust. Thrawn got up and made to leave, but stopped suddenly when a bundle of clothes nearly hit him in the face. He picked them up and looked at Thjion questioningly. He was too tall for these.

"Shortly after you left, the economy plummeted so Mom kept your clothes for the less fortunate. Later, when I was born, she kept them for when I could wear them. They're just hemmed a bit and I'm sure you can easily modify them," he explained. Thrawn nodded appreciatively and ran his fingers over the worn fabric of what he now recognized as his favorite shirt. He left and made his way to Thrass's room. Things didn't feel so odd now. Maybe there was still hope with his mother.

XXXXXXXXX

Thjion stood staring out the window in a solemn manner when his mother summoned them to dinner. He quickly readjusted his shirt, a nervous habit, and went out. Thrawn was standing there waiting for him in the hallway. Together they descended the stairs and was greeted by an enthusiastic Krealla. She quickly spouted off about her day and how odd her friend's parents had been about their return and angry she had been with them, but how happy she was to see them now. Thjion smiled a bit and scooped her up into his arms to carry her into the dining room just as he used to. Thrawn smiled, pleased to see this side of his younger brother. It was refreshing in this time of stress.

They each stood by their spot, waiting respectfully for their father/uncle to arrive. He finally left his office and sat at the head of the table with his sons on each side. He didn't look at them, but he managed a pleasant expression. Their mother arrived and placed the final pot on the table before taking her spot at the other end of the table. Thjion couldn't help but feel excited to see Thrawn here with the rest of their family. Thrawn was pleased to be back, but felt a small pain, realizing that his older brother would never get to see this happy image. The family served themselves and began eating in silence. Krealla seemed to run out of things to say, their father had nothing to say, and the two brothers were unsure of what they could say. Finally, their mother broke the silence.

"So, Thrawn," she addressed him in a forced light tone, "what have you been up to since you left?" The way she said it, one would have expected he'd simply left for school or something normal like that. This was not how an exile was referred to.

"Well, quite a few things. After a fair time on the little rock, I was picked up by the Galactic Empire and brought into the navy. I had a few odd assignments, but spent the most of time mapping uncharted areas and forming alliances with new worlds if possible. However, the Emperor was killed during a battle with the New Republic as they are now known, and I have been fighting against them, hoping to restore peace. That was finally achieved, and the two nations are rough allies at present. The treaty was signed just two weeks ago," he explained. Thjion grinned into his soup at how simple he made it all sound. A few major details were missing.

"What rank are you?" his father asked. This was always a concern of his. He had to know, even if he didn't like his son, that he was achieving everything of which he is capable.

"I'm a Grand Admiral. Something rather equivalent to a Syndic. It's the highest rank possible. I am the only alien to achieve it," he practically bragged. His father nodded and went back to his dinner.

"What brings you out our way now? It seems that this alliance would keep you busy," his mother asked.

"I promised Thjion I would help fight the Vagarri once peace was achieved. I had to keep it," he explained.

"This sounds like an odd leader, just letting his best officer run off to help people he probably knows nothing about in a stressful time," their father commented. Thjion bit his lip as Thrawn got that look in his eye again.

"Well actually, the leader knows a great deal about Csilla considering that I am the head of the Empire now," he said nonchalontley. The entire table stared at him, completely stunned by this announcement. Mitth'raw'nuruodo, the great murderer of Csilla, sent into disgraceful exile, was now heading his own nation, this was unexpected.

"Still doesn't sound like a good idea to leave," his father mumbled, refusing to acknowledge that he was actually proud of this.

"Admiral Pallaeon is a much better politician than I am, and I would trust him with my life. He will do fine until I return," he paid his second-in-command a high compliment. "The situation is actually rather stable. Ships just need to be recalled at this moment. Planets will repair themselves and then we can move on to more complex issues. Besides, he can contact me at anytime. We're no longer isolated out here." His father grunted (or gave the Chiss equivalent of a grunt) and returned to dinner.

"And what about you Thjion, what have you been doing?" Krealla asked, wanting to know about her favorite cousin. Thjion explained, Krealla stared in wonder, and both their parents sunk back in irritation. The rest of the night was spent in relative silence. Finally, an hour appropriate for retirement rolled around and the two headed upstairs to await for tomorrow's council. Neither slept well that night.

_A/N: Well, besides the terrible ending, I hope you guys liked this. I know it's taken forever to update. I just really lost interest in writing for awhile and was focusing on a different story. I will try and update faster though. It helps if you review though! I hate to update, thinking that people aren't actually reading. That did happen in the past. I put up two or three chapters in a week and suddenly you all are confused about why they are surrendering. Hehe, let's not let that happen again. Please review and I will update faster._


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **_Hey, so before I start a new chapter, which I can finally write a bit better than before thanks to reading _Outbound Flight_, I want to clear up a few questions one reviewer had in regards to how the peace treaty works and why Thrawn was exiled. Also, I think I have a few explanations of my own to clear up potentially. If I say anything wrong, let me know so I can correct it next time. I'm not an expert on Thrawn or the Chiss so I'm kind of winging it, though I suspect most of us have to do that. ANYWAYS! First, as to the Peace Treaty. Yes, the Empire was a terrible totalitarian state, and yes the galaxy was united for years, but we saw that when the galaxy was united, there was always someone struggling for power. First there was the Trade Federation and then there was the Rebellion. So I figured that by having the two groups agreeing to hold elections to see which government they want to follow, it takes the conflict out of it. If someone wants to be under Imperial rule, hey, power to them! Also, we must remember that Thrawn and Pallaeon are not the Emperor and are much more levelheaded. So it won't be as bad as the movie-version of the Empire is. It might not work, but it might too. Now, as to how Thrawn was exiled. There is a military code that says that the Chiss will not make a preemptive strike against anyone unless first fired upon. The first offense, he attacked the Vagaari before they could attack him. Luckily, he outmaneuvered the law with that one. The second time, I'm not really sure of the details, but again, he broke the code so he was kicked out. I'll have to research that one for further details. But that's the basic idea. As to your other comments, yeah I rushed getting them to Csilla. I'll acknowledge that. It's one of my shortcomings as a writer that I'm working on. I get rather impatient so I'll try and keep things at a slower pace and allow for the proper details to come through. _

_As to my other reason for this ridiculously long author's note, I am concerned about my use of the Vagaari. I thought they were this huge enemy against the Chiss who they were locked deep in battle with, but after reading the book, it doesn't sound that way. So, for this purpose, we're going to assume that the Vagaari were not entirely wiped out, multiplied in strength and numbers, and are now waging the war Thrawn hoped to avoid. Probably not correct, but as I said, I'm winging this and it is not entirely cannon, so I'm using that loophole. However, that does not account for my mistake that Thrawn was not part of the Defense Fleet, but the Expansionary Fleet as Thjion will be from now on. Sorry about the mistake. OKAY! On with the chapter. Finally!_

_XXXXXXXXX_

That night, neither brother could sleep. The impending meeting, the legal mess that was sure to follow, and the ever-looming threat of the Vagaari made it impossible for sleep to claim the two soldiers. Around two in the morning, Thjion crept down the hall and into Thrawn's room to find him still awake, glowing red eyes fixed on the far wall. He gently knocked on the door to announce his presence, but Thrawn didn't acknowledge him with more than a subtle turning of the head. He stepped in and closed the door behind him.

"You can't sleep either?" Thrawn asked, his voice sounding distant and weary, a sound so unfamiliar to him. Generally, Thrawn's voice was filled with authority and strength. Now, he was just another person, worried about their future.

"Obviously. I'm... I'm scared," he admitted weakly. If there was anyone who could understand, it would be Thrawn. His older brother pushed himself up to sit against the headboard and motioned Thjion over to sit next to him. He complied and nestled against the foot board.

"Don't be. We'll probably face the Council of Families, and I wouldn't be surprised if Defense and Expansionary Fleet representatives were present as well due to the unique situation in which we've found ourselves. Ytrenn said it would not be a legal proceeding, so probably they're just going to interrogate us as to get their facts straight. You need not worry yet," he explained. Thjion trusted he knew what he was talking about, yet the worry hardly ebbed away any. He was no closer to getting to sleep.

"All right. So what about you? Why are you awake?" Thjion questioned. If Thrawn wasn't nervous then why wasn't he sound asleep.

"I'll admit I am anxious for the proceedings, mainly for what lies afterwards. Mostly though, it's this place. It brings back so many memories, a lot of them quite painful," he trailed off thoughtfully.

"Thrass you mean?" Thrawn nodded the affirmative.

"What happened to him? All records surrounding his death are vague. Your role is barely mentioned in detail. Mom and Dad never told me why they blame you for it," he asked, knowing this would be a difficult subject. Thrawn inhaled slowly and let the memories flood back to him.

"During the mess with the Outbound Flight, Thrass got mixed up in my political mess. Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano had it out for me. He didn't approve of how I skirted around the Code, nor did he feel my detection of the Vagaari's threat was legitimate, so Thrass was basically sent in by Admiral Ar'alani to keep me from being arrested. Now, Chaf'orm'bintrano originally came out, we speculate, to claim the Vagaari ship and get me in further trouble. However, he quickly became set on claiming Outbound Flight and it's technology for the Fifth Ruling House, which would have completely destroyed the balance of power between the families as I'm sure you're aware. Ar'alani and I left Outbound Flight to meet with the Aristocra in hopes of giving Thrass and a human associate of mine, Jorj Car'das, time to get Outbound Flight away from here. Car'das later came back, leaving Thrass with a Jedi aboard. They were going to take it to a remote star system or something, and have the survivers wait until they could negotiate with the Ruling Houses on how best to settle this. He never came back. I don't know what happened exactly, but it was clear that he didn't make it." His voice was strangled and Thjion thought he saw his eyes get hazy with tears. He suddenly became uncomfortable and didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry," is all he could really come up with. "It wasn't your fault though. He made his choice and he probably knew the risks. From what I've read, Outbound Flight was a mess and was falling apart around him."

"I still dragged him into this." Thjion wanted to tell him how wrong he was to blame himself, but he knew it wouldn't make a difference.

XXXXXXXXX

The morning quickly arrived, and without any real acknowledgement of their presence from their parents, they left the house. The speeder ride there was tense, but Thrawn refused to let the silence consume them.

"Out of curiosity, what is your standing within the Eighth Ruling House?" he asked, wondering just how much was at stake for Thjion. With his exile, he lost his Trial-born status, but he didn't know if that had ruined it for Thjion as well.

"Well, let's just say I wasn't looked too highly upon thanks to you," he explained vaguely. Thjion wasn't going to say it outloud, but he had been branded by association, so his military career would end with him being a commoner as well. Well, there was little to fall from at least.

"I'm sorry for that."

"Don't be." The awkwardness level rose in the cockpit. Thrawn wished he hadn't asked. They rode the rest of the way there in a tense silence.

The government building was a fearsome sight to behold. Here, the Nine Ruling Families came together to discuss politics, each one claiming one of the nine towers that encircled the main common halls. The court room in question was in the center of the main area on the thirteenth floor. As they walked through the halls, the two received a multitude of dirty looks. While Thjion's betrayal was a tad lesser known than Thrawn's, they still knew he was his brother's brother through and through. He had always been tainted. Now, he was worthy of their distrust. Thjion let his eyes fall to the ground, but Thrawn kept his head high as he informed everyone that he was not ashamed of himself and they could think whatever they wanted of him.

They had the turbolift all to themselves. No one dared share a lift with the disgraces of Csilla. In there, Thrawn let his posture relax just the slightest as he glanced towards Thjion.

"You did nothing wrong so don't act like it," he instructed him. Thjion stood a little straighter and fixed his black uniform. In it, for the first time, he felt so inferior to his brother, Grand Admiral Thrawn. His bright white uniform seemed to glow with honor and power, while his black one simply marked him as just another Chiss soldier. What had he done to have such an amazing brother and mentor? The lift stopped and Thjion snapped to attention, mimicking Thrawn's confidence.

They walked along the claustrophobic hall of white stone and finally reached the metal doors that slide open upon their arrival. Inside, sat three chairs, one of them already occupied by Commander Tryt'ren'nuruodo. Thrawn and Thjion marched forward and took their seats, facing a wide desk that rose formidably ahead of them. While this was not supposed to be a legal hearing yet, Thjion still had the feeling that his execution orders were about to be presented. Finally, after about two minutes, the council members filed in. Each house was represented, and Thrawn was amused to see a much older form of Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano amongst them. He and Thrawn shared icy stares as the purpose of this meeting was read out by the representative of the Eighth Ruling House. Also amongst them, as Thrawn had guessed, were members of each military branch. The Expansionary Officer, who kept switching his gaze between Ytrenn and Thjion, was a frightening fellow who even gave Thrawn a sense that this was someone not to be messed with. On the other end of the line, was the Defense Officer. An older male in all white and for the first time in years, Thrawn wondered what became of his old friend.

"In summary, the purpose of these proceedings are to determine the legality of the above's actions in regards to their presence here in Chiss space," the thundering voice of the representative concluded, his thundering voice echoing slightly in the sterile court.

"Mitth'raw'nuruodo, are you aware that your return to Csilla and any territory in possession of the Chiss is strictly forbidden under the terms of your exile previously dictated by the Family Council?" the representative thundered at Thrawn. He clearly meant to intimidate Thrawn, but after years of service with Lord Vader, it was simply theatrics.

"Yes Aristocra," he stated simply.

"Mitth'jio'nuruodo, are you aware that by leaving your post during military service that you can be charged as a deserter?" the Expansionary Fleet Officer interrogated.

"Yes Commander," Thjion answered, his voice less confident than Thrawn's. The Defense Commander then faced Ytrenn.

"Were you aware Commander of the charges previously brought against Mitth'raw'nuruodo?"

"Yes Commander." Ytrenn was very young, hardly older than Thjion, and his voice shook as he answered. He was unusually emotional for a Chiss, especially a Chiss officer.

"Very well then," the representative took over. "The council will now listen to your testaments and decide what legal action will be taken against you three. Normally Mitth'jio'nuruodo, you would have been sent before a court martial, but given the claims of Mitth'raw'nuruodo, matters have become more complicated. First, we shall hear the testament of Commander Tryt'ren'nuruodo, Captain of the _Riptide_."

The Defense Fleet Commander began his questioning. "Tell us Commander, how did you come to be acquainted with the two individuals here at present?"

Ytrenn explained, in a mostly calm manner, how their ship had arrived from hyperspace and had immediately joined the battle. He had hailed the ship when the battle ended and there became acquainted with Thrawn and Thjion. Thjion had revealed his identity and Thrawn, known only as the commander of the ship, claimed his immunity.

"Did you not think to request the identity of the individual before granting them diplomatic immunity?"

"No Commander," he admittedly shamefully. He was cast with disapproving glances and Thrawn felt a distinct wave of sympathy for the young man. He was not a seasoned officer. He didn't have the judgment of one, but in these times, mistakes were not allowed.

"Lt. Mitth'jio'nuruodo, why did you leave your post, and how did you come to be associated with the... Grand Admiral?" the Commander asked, his face contorting with the odd, new title. Thjion took a moment to collect himself and finally stared the Commander in the eye as he confidently explained his reasoning.

"I felt it was in the best interest for the Chiss people that the Grand Admiral be contacted. Even in his last trial, he was acknowledged as perhaps the best tactician Csilla had ever known. With this prowess and his history with the Vagaari, I felt the benefits outweighed the consequences. I struggled to morally justify my desertion of the Fleet, but I believed it was in everyone's favor."

"Do you believe yourself more knowledgable about the welfare of the Chiss people than the Council of Families?" His next answer made Thrawn so proud.

"In some areas, yes, I believe I am." There was a hiss of disapproval, but the Commander reluctantly thanked Thjion for his honesty and now the Eighth Aristocra turned to Thrawn.

"Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo, when you were first exiled, was there any doubt in the finality and intent of the Council's ruling?" he thundered. He wasn't sure, but it seemed this man did not think too highly of him. What a shame.

"Not at all Aristocra," he answered coolly.

"And when Mitth'jio'nuruodo approached you with his offer, were you aware that you would be in violation of the ruling?"

"Naturally, though I would point out that as he was asking for a potential alliance between my Navy and the Expansionary Fleet, it was my obligation to oversee this. It was necessary to perhaps temporarily break the council's decision than risk this opportunity," he explained, his logic falling on half-deaf ears. The Aristocra gave him a queer look as if to pierce his soul and reveal all his past sins.

"Are you implying Admiral that you hold the highest power over the Empire's Navy?" he questioned, leaning forward slightly.

"Not at all," he answered, receiving a strange look for Thjion and sighs of relief from the Council. How terrible it would have been for them to put the top military leader on almost a trial. "I'm clearly stating that fact." Sudden tension gripped the room. "I am, for all intents and purposes, the highest authority within the Galactic Empire." The representative from the first ruling house looked as if he very much wanted to strangle someone at the moment.

"Uh, very well then. And Grand Admiral, what was your purpose in coming back to the Ascendancy?" he asked one final question.

"Simply to vanquish the Vagaari in hopes of protecting the Chiss citizenry, and perhaps forge an alliance between the Ascendancy and the Empire." With those few words, the council silently adjourned for a recess.

"Is the meeting over then?" Ytrenn asked, uncertain as to whether he could leave now. Thrawn shook his head and explained that they were simply going to discuss whether trials or court martials were necessary and had he been listening to the opening statement, he would have known this. Ytrenn nodded sadly and remained seated. Thrawn stood and motioned for Thjion to follow him. The room was circular and their voices still bounced off the walls, but none of what they said really needed to be kept a secret and their companion didn't seem the least bit interested in them anyways.

"Now Thjion, I suspect that regardless of your immunity, you're still going to face a trial. As you'll have the right to select your representation, I fear a Chiss lawyer may be quite biased against you, so would you like me to find one aboard the ship? Several of my officers are quite well versed in the law and these things. I don't think they'll retry me knowing that it's a very fine political line," he prepared his brother. Thjion blanched slightly, but then again, he'd expected this. Actually, he'd expected to be shot the moment he got off the shuttle, so this was a welcome surprise in comparison.

"If you can, that would be great. If not, I'll manage to survive," he answered diplomatically. He knew Thrawn would have a lot do deal with even out here. The reconstruction of the Empire was underway and he would need to see to that. Plus there was the running of the ship, preparing for future battles with the Vagaari, and probably, he had a few personal errands to run planetside. No doubt he had people he wanted to search out after all these years.

"Don't worry. We'll get these charges dropped. Surely there has to be someone in the Fleets with common sense," he remarked with a smile, placing a hand on Thjion's shoulder. Thjion sighed inaudibly and ran his left hand through his hair. He sure hoped this ended well.

"Now, who were the commanders? If they're important enough to be on the council, then surely they'll be at the court martial." If he was to choose an attorney, then he needed to know everything he could about the people trying the case.

"Uhm, the Defense Commander was Admiral Arb'trisk and the Expansionary Commander is Commander Stef'url'nuruodo," he recalled. Thrawn let out a low whistle. He knew Furln! They'd gone through the Academy together. How he hated him. But it was highly convenient as he was what one may call a "womanizer." There had been rumors upon rumors about some of his adventures, and Thrawn believed he could use this to his advantage. As for the Admiral, well, he had heard of him, though he had been Chaf'arb'trisk at the time, but he knew very little of him. Perhaps he could do some digging to see just what kind of man the Admiral was. He would do anything to get Thjion off any charges he faced.

"Oh Thrass, if only you were hear now." His brother had been one of the best trial attorneys around, and Thrawn had found himself frequently wishing he was alive during his trial. Perhaps he wouldn't have been exiled then.

It was an hour before the House Leaders finally returned. Thrawn attempted to meet each of their eyes and read their minds as they seated themselves. Ytrenn sat stiff and straight as if waiting for his execution, while Thjion seemed determined to meet his fate with as much grace as possible. He glanced over at Thrawn for a moment and let a small, sad smile grace his stony face. He had faith in his brother. Everything would be fine.

"After much discussion, the Council of Families in conjunction with the CEDF representatives has reached the following decisions. Tryt'ren'nuruodo, based on your actions regarding the allowance of certain individuals into Ascendancy Space, a review of your conduct will follow this, but a court martial will not be assigned pending the findings of your file," Admiral Arb'trisk announced. Ytrenn breathed for the first time since they arrived, but he did not relax. Commander Stef'urnl'nuruodo cleared his throat before beginning to speak.

"Lt. Mitth'jio'nuruodo, while you have been granted immunity by the Galactic Empire, it has been ruled that all protection ends within the territory of the Chiss Ascendancy. In one month from today, at 1100 standard time, you shall be tried as a deserter during a court martial. Following this proceeding, you will be taken into custody. You are allowed legal representation either of your own choosing or House appointment. Is that clear?" Thjion, while expecting this outcome, was still unable to speak and simply nodded solemnly. Finally, it was Thrawn's turn. He daringly allowed himself to glance up at Chaf'orm'bintrano and was confident in his outcome based on the expression of pure hatred directed towards him. Ever since Outbound Flight, the Aristocra did everything he could to make Thrawn's life miserable. Apparently he'd failed.

"Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo," the Eighth House Representative called out into tenseness. Thrawn noticed for the first time that both the Eighth and Second House Representatives flinched as their names were called out, associating them with this _criminal_. "The Council of Families has decided to not press any charges against you. Given the status you have acquired within the Galactic Empire, we have deemed you no longer a citizen of the Chiss Ascendancy and cannot charge you as one. You have every right of a visiting diplomat. However, along with your rejection of citizenship, you are also stripped of your House names. From here on out, you shall be known by your birth name of-"

"Please don't," Thrawn interrupted. He was not ashamed of his parents' commoner status, but at the same time, he had prided himself in his Trial Born Status within the Mitth' House and merit status within 'Nuruodo House. "From now on, I adopt my core name of Thrawn. It is simple enough for non-Cheunh speakers to pronounce and will not confuse my crew," he announced crestfallen. The representative thought it over, but finally agreed to it.

"Very well. As for your participation in our conflicts, you may schedule a meeting with the Second and Eighth Houses at your convenience. I now pronounce this meeting finished!" The House Leaders conversed amongst themselves as the three people before them stared into space. Eventually, a Fleet member came and took Thjion away, breaking Thrawn and Ytrenn out of their trances. Thjion gave a "what-can-you-do" shrug as he was escorted away. Thrawn nodded back and watched him until he turned a corner. Finally, he turned to Ytrenn and offered his hand, which Ytrenn shakily shook.

"I wish you the best of luck. I apologize for forcing you into this conflict," he politely told him. While he really didn't feel bad about Ytrenn being a part of his battle, he did sympathize with the realization that your career may be over. Ytrenn thanked him, wished him luck, and left the court room. Thrawn took one final breath and marched out. He could not wallow in his own disappointment. Thjion needed his help. In the scheme of things, he lost practically nothing... just his identity. No. He shook his head and forced that away. For almost three decades he was simply Thrawn. It made no difference.

"Captain," he spoke into his comlink, "send a shuttle down in ten minutes." There was barely a minute's passing when Captain Niriz responded.

"Acknowledged Grand Admiral." _Grand Admiral Thrawn_, that's who he was. No shame in that. None whatsoever.

_A/N: Hey what do you know, an author's note! Yeah, I just wanted to apologize for anything unclear that may exist between this chapter and the rest of the story in terms of Thrawn and Thjion's story. I plan to go back and change a few things, but really, not much has changed. So don't tell me that I said this before and now I'm saying this, I realize that. Sorry this is so long. I just had a lot to pack into this. Hope to update soon. Please review!_


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **_I have decided to just go ahead and update, not knowing how many of you read the last chapter. If you haven't read this story in the last two days or so, go back a chapter otherwise this won't make a whole lot of sense. Please enjoy this and review! And really, if you have any constructive criticism, go ahead and tell me. I want to improve so please help me!_

Captain Niriz was on the landing bay when the shuttle arrived. Thrawn marched down the ramp and right past him, but with a perfectly timed about face, he didn't miss a step. Instead of heading for the bridge, he detoured for the observation room.

"Report Captain," he commanded flatly but forcefully clearly meaning business.

"All damages have been repaired from the battle with no serious harm done. It has been advised that we don't push the hyperdrive during the return flight though."

"How should we hold up in future battle?" Was the Grand Admiral preparing for another fight? He was not looking forward to that prospect. He would have been completely lost against this last enemy.

"Assuming we don't have new ships?" he qualified. 'And you're aboard,' he mentally added. "Just fine. Sheilds are at 100 percent capacity and we have full arms capability. We checked all systems an hour ago."

"Excellent. Any news from Admiral Pallaeon?"

"He did request that you contact him at your earliest convinence," he informed him. Thrawn didn't look at him, but the captain did notice a slight tensing of displeasure.

"And I was not informed of this earlier why?" he asked too calmly. In all his years serving with the Admiral, he had never seen him truly displeased, and he would hate to have this be the end of a flawless streak.

"You instructed us not to contact you unless it was urgent, and this was not reported as urgent." Thrawn relaxed, remembering that to be the case and apologized for the lapse. With everythign that happened in the last 24 hours, yesterday felt like forever ago.

"Might I inquire as to the whereabouts of Lt. Thjion?" Captain Niriz hesitatantly asked, noting the absence of Thrawn's silent shadown. Thrawn's jaw tighted slightly and the Captain feared he had overstepped his boundaries and was now going to commit that mistake.

"He's been arrested. Deserting charges. Court martial set for a month today," he answered curtly. The Admiral never spoke in this manner, but Niriz recognized how painful this must be for him.

"Who is representing him?"

"That's what I'm here to figure out. As you may be aware Captain, I am highly disliked in my system and Thjion is marked by association, which does not help matters," he completely understated the resentment and hatred directed towards him. Niriz had heard the story before and understood completely. "I want a list of every female aboard this fleet who has law experience sent to the observation room," he instructed upon reaching the entrance. The captain was confused about the gender aspect of the order, but swiftly complied, leaving with a salute for the bridge. The Grand Admiral had made many odd requests of him over the years that he knew not to question him.

XXXXXXXXX

For a second, Thrawn allowed himself to imagine he was still a Commander aboard this ship, that the Emperor was keeping him in supposed exile in the Unknown Regions, and that he didn't know anything about his brother. It was bittersweet moment as all the pressure seemed to lift from his shoulders, but that only made the weight of everything heavier. He crossed the floor to his old command chair and pulled up his holo gallery. Unfortunately, he couldn't find the answers to this battle amongst the art. Being a part of the species and culture he had to fight against, it was impossible to remove his biases and think critically about the weaknesses of the Chiss mind. More specifically, he had no way of truly understanding the minds of the council Thjion would face.

Always efficent, Captain Niriz had the list ready for him only minutes after departing. While Niriz was not the great budding intellectual that Pallaeon was, the Captain was a military man and knew how to get things done in an efficent manner better than anyone else with whom he was acquainted. He quickly scrolled down the list. Luckily, he didn't need to worry about the attractiveness of the woman he would select as Thjion's lawyer. Not only did Furln not truly care about a woman's looks, but all human females looked the same overall. Hopefully she would be able to persuade him to their side of the case.

He read each resume, which wasn't too difficult considering how few females actually were in the Navy. The Emperor was a sexist as well as an xenophobe, thus women were highly under-represented within the ranks. This was something he was looking to change, but for now, it was a mute point. Finally, he selected the best candidate and called her down.

Lt. Commander Jonsun was a newer member of the crew, having previously transfered from her previous assignment. She was in her mid-thirties and was of average height. She had brown hair and a freckled complexion. Thrawn did not know if she was considered to be beautiful or attractive by human standards, but she was certainly exotic enough to catch the appropriate attentions he desired. However, it was not only her appearance that concerned him. After looking at her resume, he determined that she would be the best of most candidates aboard, certainly the best woman aboard, and with a 75% success rate, he was confident Thjion had a fair chance of gaining a favorable verdict. She entered the room with a smooth confidence that did not betray the apprehension she must have felt at being summoned by him. For the most part, he did not interact with more than a handful of people, so this had to be a big deal. She took the seat on the other side of the desk and waited for him to speak.

"I understand that you were an attorney prior to joining the academy," he stated. "Your record is quite impressive. Tell me, would you be willing to take up that role once more?" There was no question as to her answer. No refused the Grand Admiral anything.

"Naturally. What's the case?" she answered smoothly. Her voice was rather melodic, but forceful. It would work out nicely. Thrawn explained the case in a highly detailed outline and pointed out all the problems he could see her facing to the best of his knowledge. She nodded at key points and did not speak for a moment as she processed the information he'd presented her. "Very well Admiral, I will definately take the case, but as I'm sure you know, I have no experience with Chiss law. If it's possible, it would be best if I had an expert in the field to advise me." Naturally, he was already ahead of her on that.

"Don't worry Commander, I already have a team in mind for you. I simply needed your consent." And with that, he had a third of the defense ready.

xxxxxxxxx

For his expert team, he wanted someone who could provide a military perspective, a historical one, and an artistic view. It would be natural to assume that he could provide a military perspective, but he was biased and more guilty than Thjion, so he had someone else in mind. He just hoped she wouldn't shoot him first.

He double checked the address before finally ringing the bell. A male youngling opened the door and inquired as to his business. Thrawn gave his name and the now wide-eyed youngling went in search of his mother. Thrawn had to admit that he ever pictured Admiral Ar'alami as a maternal figure, but time does change people. However, besides a few wrinkles, the Admiral looked exactly as she had nearly 30 years ago.

"I heard rumors you were back," she greeted him cooly. "So Formbi let you live?"

"I'm not even facing a trial."

"How fortunate."

"Quite. May I come in?"

"I'm not really in a social mood."

"Nor am I. I have a proposition for you." She eyed him for a minute before letting him in the door. She quickly ushered him through the apartment into a sterile office where she keyed the door locked.

"I take it this is about Thjion," she said once she situated herself behind the desk. Thrawn was rather surprised that she knew his brother well enough to refer to him by his core name, but nodded without commenting on it.

"His lawyer needs advice on Chiss law and military code," he told her. "I hoped you'd council her."

"You don't know enough of it?" she bit back with a slight smile on her face.

"It's been awhile since I've had to know the specifics and as an admiral, you are more likely to know any loopholes," he retorted logically, ignoring the insult. She folded her fingers together thoughtfully under her chin and he could tell his offer was tempting

"Sadly, as a former admiral of 25 years, my memory may be a tad faulty too." He was shocked by this. "I was pressured into resignation," she explained without prompting.

"I'm sorry to hear that." And he truly was. "Are you unwilling to help us then?"

"Of course I'll help. I miss it all," she admitted. "Thjion was one of my best students anyways." Just then, a loud crash sounded followed by a pitiful cry.

"Thank you, I'll keep in touch," he told her. She nodded while massaging her temples.

"Excellent. Sorry to drive you off. Managing a fleet is far easier than handling a nine and five year old," she joked. "If only I had a husband." Although it was none of his business, he still inquired after the father only to find the children were adopted. "Quite fond of them, but it's not easy."

"I imagine not." With another shriek, they seperated ways, but not before she was able to add one last thing.

"Thrawn, it was nice to see you again." He smiled and bowed slightly in return before leaving. Hopefully, the next meeting went as well.

XXXXXXXXX

The students pouring out of the lecture hall walked right past him without a single glance in his direction. This invisibility was ideal as he hoped to avoid a scene. A few levels below, Liana, or Professor Chaf'ilk'ovan as most knew her, stood with her back to him as she erased the ancient white boards. She always had a fascination with pre-hyperdrive civilization and this was only fitting. He watched the last student run out, tripping over his own feet in his rush to get to his next class. The door slid shut and they were finally alone. As he made his way down the stairs, his boot heels created a resounding clap that instantly alerted her to his presence.

"I'm rather busy, but I can assist you during my office hours," she called out, mistaking him for a student.

"I fear this cannot wait until then, Liana," he responded. At the sound of his voice, mixed with her long unused nickname, the eraser fell to the floor and she slowly turned around to face him.

"Thrawn?" she whispered in a dream-like state. As if in a trance, she stepped forward and he closed the gap between them, elated to his best friend again.

"The one and only," he responded in an equally quiet tone. She smiled slightly, remembering the story behind that line. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched his cheek, testing to see if he was real.

"You always disappear," she murmured. It was then that he realized she thought herself to be dreaming. His hand covered hers and he slowly brought it down from him face, but he didn't let go.

"This isn't a dream. I'm really back for awhile," he corrected. Her smile fell and she drew her hand from his grasp. She turned away from him, coming to terms with this development.

"When did you arrive?" she asked in a harsh tone He took a step forward, standing just behind her.

"Yesterday. You must not follow the news very much," he commented lightly. "I was hoping to see you again. It's been awhi-" He was cut off by a sharp slap to the face. Liana stood there before him, fuming with decades of bitter fury. Her fists were clenched at her side now.

"Why did you come back? Wasn't enough to kill me the first time? Now I get to watch you just leave again or be killed for violating the ruling! Why couldn't you just stay away?" she yelled at him as angry tears unwillingly filled her eyes. He numbly rubbed the stinging mark as he tried to find the right words.

"I promised you I'd keep the Ascendency safe. I'm here to do that," he finally told her. This only infuriated her more.

"Well you've been doing a miserable job at that! While you've been off doing whatever, we've been locked in a stalemate with the Vagaari! we wouldn't have had a 'two front' war if you'd just left them alone. We could've prepared for this other enemy you went on about. They took my sister Thrawn," she ended on a note riddled with agony.

"I'm so sorry, but they would have come eventually. They would have waited until the Far Outsiders attacked and then taken us all captive in our weakness. This way we can end it on our terms," he explained still knowing that this logic wouldn't undo her pain. "How did it-?"

"Ship exploded. I saw it. They never had a chance." One tear fell, but she swiped it away proudly. "Well, it that was the case, we could have used you now, or that base of soldiers you destroyed," she added bitterly. He gave the smallest of sighs. No one ever understood this.

"I explained this already. I was trying-"

"To make a point. Yes, we all heard you, but you couldn't have found a better way than destroying a thousand of your own people?" The truth was he could have found a safer way to show how ineffective the code was, but it would not have been nearly as effective. If change was to happen, something extreme had to happen first.

"It's a mute point," he ended this discussion. Silence fell between them.

"So what do you want?" Her arms were crossed defensively and she was not looking at him. He paused for a moment and studied her. The last time he had seen her, she had been so young and full of life. She was a rebel and a dreamer who did everything she could to go against the social norm. That had been the main reason they were such great friends. They didn't always do what was expected of them. Now though, she seemed to be everything that was established. Her clothing, once colorful and crazy, generally of her own design, was grey and unremarkable. Her hair, now with small streaks of grey, was pulled back into a sharp bun instead of flowing free and messy as before. Overall, she just seemed dead. It stabbed at him knowing this was his fault.

"It's my brother, Mitth'jio'nuruodo. He's going on trial for supposedly deserting-"

"I'm aware of the circumstances. It was huge news. Now, why are you here?" she asked pointedly.

"He needs your help. I'm assembling a team to advise his lawyer, a human aboard my ship. While plain law and history can provide concrete evidence, literature and myth can add crucial emotion to an argument. I can think of no one better than you," he told her. She nodded, still staring at the ground. He thought he heard her whisper something that sounded like 'typical' but he wasn't sure.

"I'll do it, but not for you," she told him, glaring at him defyingly. For a moment, he saw the woman he used to know.

"That's all I ask. I'll be in touch," he told her before turning to leave the tense lecture hall. He made it half way up the stairs before she irritably called after him. Apparently, she hated to assist him anymore than she already had.

"If you still need a historian, contact Professor Chaf'abi'anitro. He was quite fond of your brother last I knew." He thanked her and left reluctantly.

XXXXXXXXX

He returned home in an irritable mood. While he had accomplished a lot today, nothing had turned out as well as he had hoped. Thjion was in jail, his best friend hated him, and his family was miserable to be around. His dear cousin had burst into tears when he told her about Thjion and his parents seemed to resent him even more now, not that he expected anything else. He longed to be back on his ship, but felt drawn to his past. Why was nothing simple?

_A/N: So I've given up on asking people to review. If you do, thanks. If not, oh well. This was not really a fun chapter to write, though I liked introducing Liana back into the story. Some of you asked about her when she was mentioned chapters before. I'll remind you that that is not her real name, I'm very aware of that, but a nickname her parents gave her so people don't flame me on that point. I honestly have no idea what's going to happen next. School starts back up in two weeks so it will be hard for me to update after that. Do have patience, not that I need to ask that of you guys. You've stuck with it so far. I hope you enjoyed this!_


	18. Chapter 18

"I think we'll have a solid defense," Lt. Commander Jonsun informed Thrawn as she existed the interrogation room. It was a week after the initial arrest, and she had met with Thjion for the first time. The rest of the team had spent the last six days giving her a crash course on Chiss customs, traditions, and basic law. She was to return to the ship now to consult with them. It was Thrawn's desire to keep the government as in the dark as possible about the team. The case was extremely heated amongst the community and Thrawn did not want to put anyone in unnecessary risk. Who knew what an angry mob was capable of.

"In the Empire, perhaps. You have your work cut out for you here, Commander," he reminded her. The Chiss were not known for their optimism. She nodded respectfully and left for the transport. Thrawn watched her go and then entered the room where his brother sat proudly. His face, once so light and youthful, was stony and aged. He wore a black eye and split lip, which only brought him down with the orange jumpsuit of a common prisoner. Thjion was clinging to any bit of dignity he could find, but it was a losing battle. "I'll talk to someone about getting you better security," he offered. Thjion shook his head.

"I deserve it. I deserted my post. They all have a right to be mad at me," Thjion choked out. He was on the verge of tears. Thrawn sighed and shifted in his chair.

"Che'chi, you were beaten by thieves, robbers, and murderers. You did what was best for your people. They violated others' rights for their own selfish gain. You don't deserve that." Thjion became more solemn and seemed to grow angrier as Thrawn spoke.

"You have to say that," he said angrily, his voice just above a whisper. "I'm no better than you are. I thought I was doing something right. Instead, I just caused more people to die in my place. I found out that the man who replaced me died just hours on the job. He could have been alive, but I left and he died. I killed him Thrawn."

"I am able to admit my mistakes, and I am telling you now that neither of us acted in an immoral manner. We did what we felt was right, and it was right. However, if one of us is guilty, it is me. I killed thousands of people. You inadvertantly caused the death of one."

"One, a thousand. It's still life." Tears flowed freely down his cheeks now. "Who are we trying to kid? There has to be a reason everyone hates us. We're no better than anyone else in this prison! We're criminals! Mom and Dad were right!" A sob tore through him, shattering his wall of pride. He collapsed onto the table and sobbed. Thrawn silently thanked the gods that he'd managed to have the cameras stopped for this session. He got up and knelt down at Thjion's side, wrapping an arm around his shaking form.

"Thjion, stop this now. You're being irrational. Do you remember why you came for me? You were losing the battle. People were dying anyways. You saw an opprotunity to end this, and took it. Remember? It worked. We ended the last battle. You were right. So an archaic code says you were out of line? You were right," Thrawn told him forcefully. A knock came from the door, and Thjion quickly gathered his composure. There was still an ounce of dignity left in him, and military training helped him gather it.

"I... I take it you have to leave then?" he murmured quietly, his voice still unsteady.

"Yes. Remember what I said. We will get you out of here, one way or another, my brother. I promise you that." Thrawn gave his shoulder an affectionate, encouraging squeeze and then turned for the door.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Thjion called after him. Thrawn paused in the doorway and turned slightly to look back at his brother. Their eyes met and Thrawn fixed him with his best grand admiral gaze, sending confidence he didn't quite feel.

"I promise you." With that he made for the exit, not stopping as the guard fell into step on his right. He would find a way to save him.

XXXXXXXXX

Leia sat in the dark nursery watching her new twins sleep. They'd been up just a few minutes ago, crying for a feeding, but now, stomaches full, they were sound asleep. She envied them. Thrawn's words had haunted her since the treaty signing. She'd never meant to hurt Thjion, but now she could see the error in her reasoning. She stretched out into the Force, ignoring the presences of her family, and searched. Either due to distance, her own inexperience, or a combination of the two, she could not sense him. No word had been given as to the final condition of the young Chiss, but given the lack of retaliation from his older brother, she presumed that he'd survived.

"I need to make things right," she whispered into the still night air. Since the peace, the Force had become increasingly tense and worrisome. Luke noticed it too. Something had been left undone, and she felt it was this. "What do I do?" They had mentioned returning home... a struggle... an invasion. As strange as it felt to say it, the Empire was their ally and if they were at war, then the Republic would aid them. She had fought too long for peace, and looking down at the two infants, she was not willing to jeopardize this.

A/n: So I've had this sitting on my computer for ages and figure I can at least let you know that there is something coming! I just don't know where it goes from here.


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